


Finding Solace in Parking Lots

by RejectsCanon



Series: Finding Solace [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: A little, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Brief Descriptions of Panic Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Dates, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Minor Character Death, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Slow Burn, So far those are the characters that will for sure show up, Tags to be updated as necessary, and i say that with love, and we stan, but it will be a hopeful/happy ending, dealing with grief, hakoda really said let me show my children unconditional love and support, i also made them play monopoly and i have no regrets, i changed the rating to mature just to be safe, i just think they'd have /feelings/ about the trainwreck that is twilight, i would blame the zukka twilight au but also i was the biggest twi-hard in my teen years, in this house we stan Azula getting out of her toxic situation, let them be siblings please, now with a bonus fifth chapter featuring zero angst, oops i had azula and zuko bond through watching twilight and playing board games, saying it upfront so no one is worried, she was abused too yall, strangers to friends to eventual boyfriends, the best really, the boys are going through it y'all, the character is Yue, there is comfort here i promise, they gotta get through the trauma first sorry, this is zuko after all, we love a validating father, we were robbed of a zuko and ty lee friendship tbh, when going to mcdonalds at midnight after a breakdown leads to finding a possible new boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 54,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25846987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RejectsCanon/pseuds/RejectsCanon
Summary: He leaves the drive-thru and enters the main parking lot. He’s about to leave and drive back home when he spots another car parked in the lot. The lights of the car are off, except for a light inside the car, and Sokka catches a quick glimpse of a guy in a red sweater, drinking a milkshake.Sokka really does not want to be alone with his thoughts right now, so he decides, on a whim, that he’s gonna try and talk to this guy who also apparently had a breakdown tonight.“Hi, I’m Sokka,” he introduces. “So, I had a breakdown earlier tonight, and I’ve been informed by the all too caring drive-thru staff that I’m not the only one who’s come through after a breakdown, and I’m guessing that other person is you. So, I was wondering if you wanted to come sit on the curb with me and talk about our problems while we have our sweets.”Or, Sokka and Zuko keep meeting in a McDonald's parking lot and bond through their mutual breakdowns. Turns out, it's easy to spill your heart to a stranger in the middle of the night and create a bond that lasts even in the daylight.
Relationships: Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Finding Solace [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147814
Comments: 390
Kudos: 1885





	1. The First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote the outline for this fic late one night when I was in my feels and well, here ya go. Enjoy!
> 
> Not beta-read so any mistakes are my own.

Zuko has been driving for a few hours, trying to clear his head, when he finally decides to stop. 

He hasn’t driven far from town. Even in his agitated and emotional state, he knew better than to drive aimlessly and risk getting lost. He’d jumped on the highway initially, the straight stretch of monotonous road helping to clear the worst of the distress from his mind before he’d doubled back towards the city. Back in town, he was now driving in circles, avoiding the neighborhoods and sticking to backroads and the downtown nightlife area. It was late on a Wednesday night, so there weren’t many cars on the road to begin with, so Zuko had felt comfortable enough driving around while he calmed himself down.

Driving was something that helped clear Zuko’s mind of any other worries. While driving, he had to put all of his focus onto the road, couldn’t let his thoughts stray to what was upsetting him, lest he lose his focus on the road. It was a task that required his full attention; not like training, or cooking, or cleaning, or, god, meditating. Those things are fine for him to do when he’s upset by a minor inconvenience, but this.

This required Zuko to get out of his tiny apartment and just _go_ before he had a full-blown breakdown. 

At 10:33 pm, Zuko had gotten a call from an unfamiliar number. He hadn’t answered it, figuring someone had dialed the wrong number and would realize for themselves. He’d let the call ring out, and when no voicemail appeared he continued getting ready for bed, hopping in the shower. When he’d gotten out, he heard his phone ding, signaling a new text message. He’d picked it up, looking at it for a second, before he nearly dropped it in shock and panic.

The messages and missed phone calls were from his father. 

Zuko’s relationship with his father is… bad. Really bad. Zuko would go as far as to say it was awful, horrifying, and even gruesome. 

The scar taking up nearly half of his face certainly agrees with that assessment. 

(He tells the people who are brave enough, or rude enough, to ask that it was an accident. That he was young, and in the kitchen unsupervised. That somehow he had slipped and on the way down, pulled the pot of boiling water with him. 

A freak accident.

He never tells people that his father was in the kitchen with him. That his father had pushed him down after Zuko said something he didn’t like. That his father had sneered and taunted as he threw the boiling water on him. That his father refused to take him to the hospital and he didn’t end up going to a doctor until days later when his uncle had come to visit and saw his face.) 

Zuko’s hands were shaking as he held his phone, desperately not wanting to read the messages any more than he already could from his lock screen, but also full of a morbid curiosity to know what they said. What his father was telling him. 

It was never anything good, but that never stopped Zuko from wanting to know. 

Zuko sat on the edge of his bed and unlocked his phone with shaky hands. He read the text messages first, ignoring the glaring red notification indicating a new voicemail. The messages themselves held nothing glaringly awful, but they were enough that the pit in Zuko’s stomach grew until it felt like it was choking him. 

_Answer your phone, Zuko. Do not be a coward._

_You will listen to what I have to say, eventually. You cannot hide forever._

_If you truly wanted nothing to do with me, you would do better than new phone numbers and living with that fool of a man you call an uncle._

Zuko has changed his phone number five times in the past two months in an attempt to rid himself of his father’s presence. The last time, he’d driven to an entirely different area code and changed his number there, just to make it harder to find him. 

That didn’t seem to have stopped his father.

Zuko has no idea how he keeps finding his new numbers. He knows his father is a powerful man, but even _he_ must have some limitations. 

He hopes those limitations are finding where Zuko lives. 

He stares at that last message, holding onto the hope it gives him. If his father still thinks Zuko’s living with Uncle Iroh, then maybe he won’t look elsewhere for Zuko. Maybe he won’t realize that Zuko had moved out in the hopes that that would drive a further wedge between him and his father. 

Zuko hadn’t gone far, though. Uncle Iroh was a ten-minute drive away, a thirty-minute walk, max. Zuko had moved in with his Uncle Iroh in the first place because it was _safe._ Because his father wouldn’t dare to show up on Uncle Iroh’s doorstep looking for Zuko.

That hadn’t stopped him from sending mail, though.

Zuko and Iroh both thought that it may be worth a try, just on the off chance Zuko no longer had to worry checking the mail in fear of finding another letter from his father. 

Zuko is still sitting there with his phone open when a new message comes through. Zuko reads it without thinking, and gasps, his phone falling from his hands and the panic crawling at his throat. 

_I will see you again, eventually. I always win, Zuko._

Zuko can feel the tears stinging at his eyes, making his vision blur. He races around his room, frantically pulling on a sweater, not caring that he’s in his pajamas otherwise, and barely remembers to grab his phone before he’s leaving his room. He stuffs his wallet into his pocket, shoves his feet into a pair of shoes, grabs his keys, and is out his front door in record time, barely remembering to lock up behind him. 

Zuko had forced the tears to stop by the time he got on the highway, unwilling to drive on it while bleary-eyed, even when the cars were sparse. By the time he’s been driving for an hour, his breathing is calm enough that he’s not gasping and he can pull in a deep breath and hold it without panicking even more. By the time he’s back in town, driving aimlessly through the downtown nightlife area, he feels calm enough, and empty-minded enough, that he has the radio on a low volume. 

He’s feeling tired, his body crashing from the adrenaline high. He looks at the time on his dashboard and sees that it’s nearing 1 am. He thinks about going back to his apartment, but the spike of panic that sends through him has him quickly dismissing the idea. He’ll probably end up spending the night at Uncles. He has a key to let himself in, and he knows his old bedroom is always open to him. Besides, he’ll want to show Uncle the texts anyway, so Uncle can compile them with the other instances of his father harassing him. They’ve been saving all of them, keeping a record of how the messages and letters are devolving the closer they get to his father's court date. 

The closer they get to the court date, the more frequent and violent his father's harassment becomes. 

Zuko knows his father is a powerful man, and that power comes with a lot of influence and a reputation to keep. Ever since Zuko had moved out as soon as he turned eighteen, he’s been trying to get a restraining order against his father. And in return, his father has been doing everything in his power to make sure that Zuko’s request seems ridiculous and his claims are ignored. After all, if word got out that his oldest child was trying to get a restraining order against him, people would start asking questions and digging and that is the last thing his father wants. 

So for the past few years, Zuko and his uncle have been saving every instance of communication between Zuko and his father, building a case for harassment and ill intentions. They’ve finally convinced a judge to hear their case, one of the few that his father doesn’t have in his back pocket, and as the day grows nearer, Ozai seems to be slipping. 

The brief spike of panic Zuko feels begins to lessen as Zuko continues calming himself down with thoughts of seeing his uncle. In another effort to distract himself, Zuko fiddles with the radio, switching between a few channels before turning on his CD that’s still in the console, thanking his past self that was listening to throwback songs and not his usual depressing music. He cruises along for a little longer, the panic fully subsiding and he’s nearly feeling normal again. 

Then, his stomach growls. 

He has half a mind to ignore it and just head to Uncle’s, but then, he passes a McDonald’s and decides, _fuck it, I’m getting a milkshake. I deserve it._

* * *

Sokka is having a breakdown.

A complete and utter breakdown at 12:26 at night because his professor has just uploaded the grade for his midterm project and he’d gotten an F. 

37% to be exact. 

Sokka has no fucking clue how he’s gotten that low of a grade when he worked his ass off for this project. He’d thought he did a great job, he’d even visited during office hours to make sure he was on a good track! So how in the world had he managed to get so low of a grade? 

Sokka needs to pass this class to graduate and get his degree, and if he fails the midterm, there’s no way he’ll be able to raise his grade enough to pass the class in time. 

This is Sokka’s last semester of college and he’s passing all of his other classes. If he fails this one, not only will he not graduate, he’ll have to enroll again next semester _just_ to retake this one class. Sokka _can not afford_ to enroll in just one class. He only gets financial aid if he’s enrolled in at least half time, and only taking one class is _nowhere near half time enrollment._ He’ll have to pay for tuition out of pocket, and it’ll be a few thousand dollars, and Sokka _does not have a few extra thousand dollars._

Sokka is sitting on the floor in his bedroom, trying to panic quietly so he doesn’t wake Katara from across the hall where she’s sleeping. The more Sokka stares at the screen, at that glaring 37%, the more his panic grows and he can feel the tears coming. 

Maybe he can email Professor Piandao and ask to redo the project. Maybe he can ask for an extension, for an _explanation_ of what he did wrong. Maybe he can ask for extra credit, ask to do an extra project, _anything_ that will raise his grade and help him pass with at least a C. Professor Piandao knows Sokka is set to graduate this semester, and he’s usually a fair grader, so Sokka _cannot_ understand where this failing grade came from. 

It’s been twenty minutes. Sokka refreshes the page, and his grade is still the same. 

Sokka starts drafting an email to Professor Piandao, trying to wrangle in his panic and blinking away the tears from his vision. 

_Professor Piandao,_

_I’ve noticed you posted the grades for our midterm project, and I was hoping I could come to your office soon and speak about my grade. I received a 37% and would like to discuss how I could improve. I take a lot of pride in the work I do, so I would very much appreciate a chance to discuss the midterm project results._

_Thank you for your time._

Is that good enough? Sokka thinks. Too desperate? Is it rude? Passive-aggressive? Sokka can’t think anymore, his brain isn’t working, and just typing that email made everything seem so much more real. Sokka takes in a shaky breath and sends off the email. 

It’s out of his hands now until Professor Piandao responds to him. He did the work, the grade is in, and he’s asked to meet with his professor about it. That’s all Sokka can do right now. 

_That’s all I can do, for now_ , Sokka tells himself, trying to calm down as his breathing starts picking up rapidly again. It feels like he’s not getting enough breath and the tears he’s been holding back finally force themselves out. He’s still sitting on his bedroom floor, head in hands, and trying his damndest to keep quiet. His laptop dims, and he’s no longer staring at his failing grade.

Sokka prides himself on his intelligence. On his ability to think on his feet and find solutions quickly. His ability to come up with unique ideas and execute them well. His ability to _create_ real, tangible things that once only lived in his mind. He prides himself on being able to create and build and engineer new feats. He prides himself on his ingenuity and inventiveness.

If he doesn’t have that, then who is he?

Failing this class may not be the worst thing that could happen in his life, but it’s a blow that Sokka isn’t willing to take. This is the one thing that Sokka _knows_ he’s good at and knows can take him far in life. The prospect of failing in this; the thing he would love to spend the rest of his life doing, the thing his father is proud of him for, the thing his sister appreciates him for, Sokka can’t fathom failing. 

Sokka makes himself take a few deep breaths, holding them in for a few seconds until his breathing is mostly under control. His tears have stopped, and now that his breathing is under control, Sokka doesn’t feel like he’s being taken over by panic anymore. He’s still full of adrenaline, though, and Sokka knows that trying to sleep now would never work. 

Sokka avoids looking at his laptop, knows it will only send him into another tailspin, so he snaps it closed and pushes it aside. He looks at the time on his phone, sees that it’s just after 1:30 am. 

Sokka knows that just sitting there and waiting for a response will kill him, so he decides he needs a distraction. He gets up off the floor, pulls on a pair of shoes, and heads out. He leaves a note on the fridge in case Katara wakes up and notices him gone, grabs his keys, and heads out the door. 

He drives around for maybe fifteen minutes, forcing himself to focus on the road and further clear his mind. He ends up near the quieter section of downtown, driving around the near-empty restaurants and shops when he decides on a whim; _you know what, fuck it. I’m getting a milkshake._

* * *

Zuko takes one second before he pulls into the McDonald’s drive-thru to take a look at his reflection in the visor mirror. 

He doesn’t look great.

His eyes are bloodshot red and still a bit shiny, there’s dried tear tracks on running down his face, and his cheeks are flushed pink. 

He spares half a second to care about how he looks before deciding that anyone who’s working the overnight shift at McDonald’s isn’t likely to expect whoever comes through to look entirely put together. With that thought, he enters the drive-thru, rolling down his window when he gets to the speaker. 

“Hello, welcome to McDonald’s. What can we get for you tonight?” The voice asks from the speaker. Zuko is fairly sure it’s a tired college student who got stuck on the night shift. 

“Hi,” he starts, then clears his throat when his voice comes out scratchy and thick. “Is it possible for me to get a milkshake?”

“Yes, you can get a milkshake.”

“Awesome. Can I have a medium chocolate milkshake and a large fry? Also an order of nuggets, please.”

“No problem, any sauce for the nuggets?”

“Barbeque, please.”

“Alright, we’ll have your total and your order at the window.”

“Thank you,” Zuko says before pulling up to the window. 

“That’ll be 11.57, please,” the girl at the window says. Zuko pulls out his card, holding it out the window for the girl to take.

She looks out the window, takes one look at Zuko, sees his tear-stained and blotchy cheeks, the dark circles under his eyes, and his fidgeting hands, turns to her coworker and says, “Hey, David? Make that milkshake a large, actually. This guy looks like he needs it.” 

The one who must be David peaks around and winces, nodding his head without comment. 

Zuko must look worse than he thought. Zuko says as much. 

“I didn’t think I looked _that_ bad,” he tries to defend as the girl hands him back his card. 

“Dude,” she says bluntly. “You look like you just had a killer breakdown. I know it was just midterm season, but things can’t be that bad, right?”

“Oh, this wasn’t a school breakdown,” Zuko finds himself explaining without thought. “A lot of shit is going on with family, I guess.”

The girl now looks a lot more concerned. “Hey, David? Give this guy a couple of cookies, too.”

“But, I didn’t pay for that,” Zuko argues. 

“It’s fine, we’d have to throw them out anyway. Take the cookies.”

“Thank you,” Zuko says. And then, Zuko must still be more emotional than he thought because his eyes start to tear up again at this kindness from total strangers. Surprise, guess he’s not used to that. He quickly rubs his sleeve over his eyes, trying not to get caught. 

“Oh, god, are you crying? Are you okay?” the girl asks frantically.

“I’m fine,” Zuko says, sniffling a little. “Not crying, there’s something in my eye.”

She doesn’t argue, just looks at him all concerned until she hands him his order, and Zuko leaves with another thank you and an attempt at a smile. Rather than drive all the way to Uncle’s, Zuko parks in front of the building facing the street. He makes sure his doors are locked, turns off the car, and takes out a cookie. 

* * *

Sokka pulls into the McDonald’s drive-thru and rolls down his window at the speaker. 

“Hello, welcome to McDonald’s, what can we get for you tonight?” 

“I’m literally begging you to tell me that I can get a milkshake tonight, please, I’m desperate,” Sokka says without preamble. 

The worker behind the speaker is quiet for a second. “You’re not the guy who just came through after having a breakdown, are you? You sound kind of similar, but he just got a milkshake.”

“I… I am _not_ the guy who just came through. There’s more than one of us having a breakdown tonight?” Sokka says.

“Oh, yeah, you just missed him, too. Anyway, milkshakes are a go. What kind?”

“Um, chocolate, please. A medium.”

“Alright, anything else?”

“Yeah, can I also get a large fry and 2 mcchickens, please? That’s all.” 

“No problem. We’ll have your total and your order at the window.”

“Thank you,” Sokka says, pulling up to the window and taking out his card. The girl at the window takes a look at him when he hands her his card, and she sighs sadly. 

“You look just as bad as the other guy. Damn, you okay? Also, that’ll be 10.26,” the girl fires off, taking his outstretched card.

“Well, I failed a midterm, which means I’m failing this class when I’m supposed to be graduating this semester,” Sokka says. 

“Well, fuck,” the girl says, giving back his card. “And I’m guessing this class is important to graduating?”

“Yup.”

“Hey, David. Give this guy a large milkshake and some cookies, too. He’s going through it.”

“But, I didn’t--”

“Doesn’t matter if you didn’t pay the difference. We already made a new batch of milkshake, so take the large, less for us to clean up, and we’d have to throw the cookies out anyway if no one ate them,” the girl interrupts. 

Then, the guy who must be David peaks his head out the window, too. 

“Oh, yeah, you’re getting extra sweets. You look like you need it,” he says. 

Sokka decides not to argue, because they both look very determined and, hey, free cookies. 

He leaves the drive-thru and enters the main parking lot. He’s about to leave and drive back home when he spots another car parked in the lot. The lights of the car are off, except for a light inside the car, and Sokka catches a quick glimpse of a guy in a red sweater, drinking a milkshake. 

Sokka really does not want to be alone with his thoughts right now, and he knows if he goes home, all he’ll think about is what a failure he is. 

Sokka decides, on a whim, that he’s gonna try and talk to this guy who also apparently had a breakdown tonight. 

Sokka parks his car a few spots away, continuously glancing at the other boy. He never looks over to Sokka, so he assumes he hasn’t been noticed. Sokka grabs his food, gets out, and heads to the guy’s passenger window. 

Sokka knocks gently twice on the window, and the guy inside the car jumps hard, looking around frantically and reaching for something that Sokka can’t see.

Maybe sneaking up on someone who just had a breakdown obvious enough for a drive-thru worker to notice wasn’t Sokka’s best idea. 

Sokka tries to make himself look as non-threatening as possible, smiling and waving with the hand still holding his milkshake. The guy is looking at Sokka with wide eyes, maybe looking a little panicked still, and Sokka notices one very important thing about this guy. 

The scar on his face is wicked. 

Sokka feels even worse for scaring him when he probably can’t see very well out of that side, which explains why he didn’t notice Sokka driving up and parking next to him. 

After a minute, the guy turns the key of his car, starting it just enough that he can roll down the passenger window in front of Sokka a little. 

“Can I help you?” He asks. His voice is deep and raspy, and definitely defensive. 

“Hi, I’m Sokka,” he introduces. “So, I had a breakdown earlier tonight, and I’ve been informed by the all too caring drive-thru staff that I’m not the only one who’s come through after a breakdown, and I’m guessing that other person is you. So, I was wondering if you wanted to come sit on the curb with me and talk about our problems while we have our sweets.”

* * *

When Zuko hears the knock on his window, the first thing he thinks is _oh fuck, dad found me._ He panics, looking around wildly and reaching for the pepper spray he keeps in his side console. 

The face he sees is not his fathers, but instead, a guy who looks to be about Zuko’s age. He’s wearing a blue tank top, showing off his muscled arms and dark skin. He looks like a college student; tired, upset, and not really threatening. Zuko almost lets his guard down before he remembers that most of the time, Azula looks young and unthreatening, too. 

Then, the guy smiles, and _waves with his milkshake_. 

Zuko turns the car on, rolling down the passenger window about three-quarters of the way. 

Zuko listens as the guy introduces himself and then--

“What?” Zuko asks incredulously. 

“Do you want to sit on the curb and eat with me while we talk about our apparent breakdowns,” the guy, Sokka, repeats. “I’ve heard that strangers give the most insightful advice, and I don’t know about you, but telling a stranger about my breakdown sounds a lot better than telling my family and having to see their disappointment.” 

Well, Zuko may understand that feeling. 

“If I do, I’m bringing my pepper spray,” Zuko says. 

Sokka nods his head, “You know, I probably should’ve thought of that before coming up to a stranger’s window. Good thinking.”

Sokka backs up a few steps, setting down his food and taking a seat on the curb a few feet away from Zuko’s car. Zuko hesitates for a moment longer, thinking, _am I really going to do this? Well, I guess I don’t have to talk if I don’t want to._ Zuko rolls up his window again, gathering his stuff and exiting his car. He sits down, making sure Sokka is on his right side, in his full vision. 

“I’m Zuko,” he offers after a moment of uncomfortable silence. In an attempt to no longer be faced with the silence, Zuko takes out his box of nuggets. “Want a nugget?” he offers.

Sokka laughs. “Hi, Zuko,” he says. “I won’t take any of your ten count nuggets, I have some chicken sandwiches.”

“Some?” Zuko asks, still a little frazzled.

“Well, two, actually,” he says, and promptly pulls them out of his bag, opening on up. 

“So,” he continues after taking a few bites. Zuko has continued to eat his nuggets, occasionally sipping at his milkshake. “Who wants to recount their breakdown first?”

“It was your idea,” Zuko says immediately. “You go first.”

“Not fair,” Sokka mumbles around his straw. “But fine.”

Zuko raises his eyebrows, eating a fry as he looks at Sokka skeptically.

“So, I found out tonight I failed a midterm. Like, totally bombed it. Like, I got a 37% kind of bombed it. I’m supposed to graduate this semester, so failing this midterm means I’m failing this class. I probably won’t be able to raise my grade enough by the end of the semester to pass. Which means I don’t graduate. And I’ll have to enroll again next semester just to retake this one class, and I _cannot afford to do that,_ ” Sokka rushes out, sounding properly panicked by the end. 

Zuko’s heart twists hearing the pain and panic in the other boy's voice, and knows he’d be reacting the same if he were in that position. He wants to try and comfort him, but Zuko has never been the best at comforting people, so what comes out is-

“That’s… That’s rough, buddy.”

_Fuck, why do I even speak?_

Sokka barks out a laugh, looking at Zuko and nodding. “Yeah, yeah it is rough.”

“You go to Ba Sing Se University, I’m guessing?” Zuko asks. Sokka nods. “What are you studying? I just graduated last year.”

“Engineering.”

“Oh? Who’s your professor for this class? My uncle is friends with a few of the engineering professors. I took a few of the low-level engineering classes before my schedule was full of my major classes”

Sokka gives him a weird look, but answers nonetheless. “His name is Piandao.”

“No shit,” Zuko says. “I’ve taken him before.”

“I took him because everyone always raves about his teaching, and I figured I needed to have the experience before I graduated, you know? Kind of regretting it now. I even went to his office hours and everything to make sure I was on a good track with this project. He seemed really into it whenever I went to talk to him. I don’t know where I went wrong,” Sokka says sadly. 

“Wait,” Zuko says, realizing something. “You said you got a 37%?”

“No need to remind me, but yeah.”

“What was the midterm out of? Like, points wise?”

Sokka is looking at him in even more confusion. “It was out of 40 points.”

“Sokka, I’m about to make you feel a _lot_ better, because something similar happened to me, once,” Zuko says. 

“What are you talking about?” Sokka is starting to look annoyed now, so Zuko figures he better hurry up.

“Piandao is terrible with technology. For an engineer and a great teacher, he can’t work a computer to save his life. He probably input the grades as percentages instead of points. He did that _a lot_ when I had him. So, if he liked your project and you made the effort to go see him and make sure you were doing it right, you probably got a 37 out of 40, and Piandao just put the points in as a percentage by mistake,” Zuko explains. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Sokka says, breathless. “No way is it that simple.”

“I mean, obviously I don’t know you,” Zuko says. “So I have no idea if you’re actually good at what you do or not--”

“I am,” Sokka interrupts vehemently. 

“Okay,” Zuko agrees easily. “So, it sounds like you should’ve done well on this project. And Piandao isn’t the type to give out failing grades at the drop of a hat. _Especially_ to students who are about to graduate.”

“So, I might not be failing?” Sokka asks, sounding both hopeful and frightened. 

“Maybe not,” Zuko agrees. “When it happened to me, I had gotten a 25 out of 30, but it got put into the grade book as a 25%. I think I freaked out maybe just a little less than you might have. Did you email him or anything?”

“Fuck,” Sokka says. “Yeah, I did.”

“He should reply to you by the morning,” Zuko says, turning back to his milkshake. “If he’s still awake, he told us once that he checks his email before he goes to bed, so he might respond tonight, if you’re lucky.” 

“It’s 2 in the morning, I don’t think he’ll reply,” Sokka says. “But, he’s never done anything like that before. What if this time I really did fail? I’ll have to tell my dad and sister that I fucked everything up. Shit’s usually not that easy for me, I’m having a hard time believing that everything could be so simple.”

“I get that,” Zuko says. “It feels like things are rarely ever a misunderstanding when it comes to the important stuff.”

“And I’m sure this seems like a useless breakdown,” Sokka continues, seemingly getting in a worse mood despite Zuko’s efforts to comfort him. “I know people say that college students take things too seriously, and we overreact when it comes to this stuff.”

“Hey, _I’m_ not saying that,” Zuko argues. “School is a completely valid reason to freak out. It’s important and basically holds your entire future in your hands. Especially since most of us have already put so much on the line just to be able to go, so failing makes you rethink and question everything. I don’t think you’re overreacting.”

“You don’t?” Sokka asks.

“Not at all. Especially not when it clearly means a lot to you. I’ve known you for like, 15 minutes but I can tell that you take this stuff seriously.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Sokka mumbles. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I just can’t see this turning out good.”

“Well, I _am_ a stranger, it makes sense that you wouldn’t immediately believe me,” Zuko shrugs. 

“I really want to believe that, though,” Sokka says. “I really don’t want to tell my dad that I failed and fucked everything up.”

“Would that be bad?” Zuko asks cautiously. He knows that not everyone has a father like his, but he also knows that far too many people do. 

Sokka takes a long look at Zuko before saying softly, “It wouldn’t be bad in the way I think you mean.”

Zuko just swallows harshly and looks down at the ground. 

“He would be disappointed, yeah. And upset, sure. But not upset _at_ me. I’m sure he’d try to be supportive, but I know he would be disappointed,” Sokka says. 

“That’s good,” Zuko says quietly, but then thinks about how that sounded. “Or, well,” he stutters out. “Not _good_ , I meant, _good_ like, I’m glad you don’t think it would be bad. Ugh.”

Zuko groans and puts his head in his hands. He distantly hears Sokka laugh again. “I think I know what you mean. _Good_ that he wouldn’t be angry, but still sucks that he’d be disappointed.”

“Yeah,” Zuko sighs. “Sorry, guess my brain still isn’t functioning right.”

“That’s fine,” Sokka says. “Though I kind of want to ask, and you don’t have to tell me, but. Did your, uh, breakdown have something to do with your dad? 

Zuko sighs again and looks over at Sokka. Zuko’s not the best at reading people, but he thinks Sokka doesn’t look judgemental, just concerned. He also doesn’t think Sokka is fishing for information because he looks just as ready to change the topic of conversation. 

But, it’s the look in Sokka’s eyes, almost soft and gentle, that has Zuko nodding with a soft, “Yeah, it did.”

If possible, Sokka’s eyes soften even more, and he almost looks like he’s about to put his hand on Zuko’s arm but stops himself.

“I’m sorry,” Sokka whispers. “You don’t have to tell me anything. But, if you want to talk, I’ll listen. And if you want to talk but don’t want to explain all of it, that’s fine too. I won’t ask questions.”

Zuko’s still looking at him, and from what Zuko can tell, Sokka looks earnest. Zuko wants to believe that if he chooses, Sokka will let him get up and walk away without one bit of a fight.

Maybe that’s what makes Zuko open up. 

“My dad isn’t exactly nice,” Zuko says plainly. “Pretty mean, actually. I moved out and in with my uncle as soon as I turned eighteen. My dad wasn’t exactly happy about me not being under his thumb anymore. My uncle and I have been trying to get a restraining order against him for a while, but um, it’s been… difficult.”

“Shit, man,” Sokka breathes out. “That’s awful. Your dad is such an asshole that you need a _restraining order_ against him? Wait, don’t answer that! I told you I wouldn’t ask questions, you don’t have to answer me.”

“It’s fine,” Zuko says. “Yeah, he’s that bad. But apparently, courts don’t really want fathers to be restrained from their sons, so it’s been hard. My breakdown tonight happened because he found my new phone number and started sending me a bunch of shit.”

“Your uh, your new number?” Sokka asks cautiously. 

“I keep changing my number and he keeps finding me. Sends me all this bad shit, tries to make me feel like shit. Guess he managed that tonight,” Zuko says, eating his last nugget. 

“Oh, my god,” Sokka says. “Um, I’m not like a law person really, and I don’t mean to act like I know more about this situation than you do, but that seems to me like good enough grounds for a restraining order? It doesn’t seem like he’s good for you.”

“Well, you hit the nail on the head there,” Zuko says. “But yeah, I think normally it might be enough, it’s just that he’s my father.” Zuko’s not willing to tell Sokka, no matter how kind he seems, that Zuko’s having such a hard time because his father is such a prominent figure. 

“My uncle and I have been saving all the messages and voicemails he sends me--” Zuko cuts himself as he suddenly remembers that he never listened to the voicemail his father left him. 

“Zuko?” Sokka asks, calling his attention back. 

“I just remembered,” Zuko says, trying to keep his panic at bay and his breathing under control. “He left me a voicemail tonight. I didn’t listen to it.” Zuko’s breathing is picking up despite his efforts to stay calm.

This time, Sokka does put his hand on Zuko’s arm. He places it softly, but Zuko still flinches minutely. 

“And you don’t have to,” Sokka says, his voice as soft as his hand on Zuko’s arm. “You said you and your uncle were saving all the stuff he sends you? If you really want to know what it says, maybe have your uncle listen to it? Or wait until you're with him and listen to it together? Nothing is making you listen to it right now, or ever.”

Zuko nods, trying to control his breathing, taking in deep breaths and counting them. Eventually, he manages to calm himself down, groaning and running his hands through his hair. 

“Well, fuck,” Zuko groans out. 

“I agree,” Sokka says, squeezing Zuko’s arm a little before letting go. “Want to keep talking about our problems or find something else to talk about?”

“Considering I’ll probably have to have an even more emotional conversation with my uncle soon, I’d rather talk about literally anything else,” Zuko else.

“Sweet, I’m done talking emotions, too,” Sokka says, brushing off his hands and picking back up his chicken sandwich. “You watch Real Housewives of Ember Island? I don’t really watch it but my sister does, shit’s wild.”

The rest of the time they sit there, talking about trashy reality TV and finishing their food. Turns out, they share similar opinions on said trashy TV, and Sokka is actually pretty funny. His commentary about how scripted some of the drama is and how much more realistic and better it would be if they just let the people run wild is valid, and before Zuko knows it, he’s holding back laughter. Zuko doesn’t make much commentary himself, preferring to just listen. But Sokka’s voice has taken on a calmer tone, his anxieties seemingly disappeared for now, and it works to fully calm Zuko down as well. 

They eventually part ways, tossing their trash in a nearby garbage can, both leaning against their cars as they say goodbye.

“So,” Sokka says pausing by the side of his car. “I know this was pretty random, and probably not something either of us would’ve done if we hadn’t already been so frazzled. But, it was actually pretty nice talking to you, Zuko.”

“Hm, talking to strangers isn't something normal to me,” Zuko agrees. “But I guess you’re pretty good company.”

“A glowing recommendation,” Sokka jokes. “But seriously, I hope everything works out the way you want it to.”

“Thanks,” Zuko says, fiddling with his sweater. “For the record, I hope you get everything sorted with Piandao. He’s a good man, I’m sure he’ll work with you.”

“I hope so,” Sokka moves over to his driver's side, getting in his car and Zuko does the same. Zuko starts the car, turning off the radio and preparing to back out of his parking space.

“Hey,” he hears Sokka yell, and Zuko looks over, rolling down his window. “Maybe we’ll see each other again for another breakdown meetup.”

That surprises a laugh out of Zuko. “Maybe, yeah,” he agrees. “I certainly have enough of them.”

“I’ll see you around, Zuko!” Sokka calls to him, shooting him a smile and backing out, driving away. 

Zuko stares in a little bit of awe as he watches Sokka drive away. 

* * *

Sokka drives home in a better mood than he’s been since he first saw his grade was uploaded. He tries to hold on to that good feeling as he makes the drive, keeping his mind away from negative thoughts. Sokka has no idea what came over him when he asked Zuko if he wanted to talk, but he doesn’t think that could have gone any better. 

Talking with Zuko felt easy. Maybe it was because of the obvious fact that they were both having a really bad night, or that Zuko was around Sokka’s age, or that he even agreed to Sokka’s weird plan anyway so he must be kind of cool, or that he tried his best with what limited knowledge he had to try and comfort Sokka, or that he opened up in return about something that is for sure hard for him to talk about, or that when Zuko was laughing at Sokka’s bad jokes that he was actually really pretty.

Okay, maybe there were a lot of reasons that Sokka ended up liking talking to Zuko. 

Thinking about Zuko and how pretty his eyes looked under the streetlights (were they brown? Hazel? More of a honey or a whiskey color? It was hard to tell properly under the dim lights of the parking lot), gets Sokka through the drive home. He enters as quietly as possible so as not to wake Katara, toeing off his shoes at the front door. He goes to the kitchen first, washing his hands and seeing that his note to Katara is still on the fridge, so she probably didn’t wake up. He tosses the note, looking at the time on the stove and seeing that it’s nearing 3 am. 

He has class at nine tomorrow morning, fuck. 

Thinking about class gets Sokka thinking about what Zuko said about his experience with Professor Piandao. It seems too good to be true, that his failing grade can be explained by a simple mistake such as inputting the grades wrong. He doesn’t dare to get his hopes up, but he desperately wants what Zuko said to be true. He wants this to have all been a mistake, to be as if it never happened.

To not be a failure.

Sokka heads to his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He ignores his laptop still on the floor and still signed into his school account. He can’t look at it right now. He falls into bed as is’ he’s wearing a pair of sweats and a tank top, it’ll do for pajamas when he only has about five more hours to sleep. 

He reaches over to put his phone on the charger, and on a whim, decides to check his email one last time. 

Sokka gasps loudly, his phone falling from suddenly limp hands.

Professor Piandao has emailed him. Twice, actually. Holy shit. 

Sokka scrambles for his phone, opening the email, and reading it quickly. When he’s finished, reads it again, and then a third time, just to be sure. A breathless laugh escapes him, and he drops a hand over his eyes, thanking every and any god or spirit that might be listening. 

_Sokka_ , the email reads. _Thank you for the email. You’ve brought to my attention that I have horribly messed up the grades. You did not receive a 37% on the midterm project. You earned 37 points out of 40. I will be sending out a classwide email shortly explaining my mistake. I will have the grades fixed first thing in the morning. I’m terribly sorry for any stress and anxiety I’m sure this caused you. Sleep well, Piandao._

The second email that Sokka has from him is indeed a classwide one, explaining the mistake and promising it will be fixed in the morning. 

It seems like Zuko was right. Maybe Professor Piandao should get a TA to make sure stuff like this doesn’t keep happening. Hell, Sokka will do it himself. 

Sokka falls asleep quickly after that, a weight lifted from his shoulders, and feeling light. 

Sokka hopes he sees Zuko again, if only so he can apologize for being so disbelieving earlier. 

* * *

Zuko sits in his car for a moment longer, lost in the almost timelessness that the night created. Zuko could’ve sworn that everything stopped while he was sitting on that curb and talking to Sokka. If it weren’t for the fact that his throat feels a little raw from all the talking and held back laughter, Zuko would think that it hadn’t happened. 

But it did, and Zuko had an emotional, revealing, and kind of fun conversation with a total stranger. 

What even is his life?

Zuko snaps himself out of his little reverie, starting the drive to his uncle’s house. Zuko drives with the windows down a little, letting in the breeze, and the radio off, only adding to the overall ethereal feel that this night is giving him all of a sudden.

He started off tonight by diving headfirst into a panic attack and is ending it by contemplating the strange feeling of peace flowing through him.

Maybe Sokka is some kind of mystical being and he’s placed some kind of spell on Zuko. 

(Zuko is aware that that brief thought is ridiculous, but honestly, a cute boy comes up to him and starts talking about _feelings_ , and making jokes, and somehow makes Zuko feel calm with seemingly little to no effort? Sounds fake.) 

He gets to his uncle’s place, pulling into the driveway, and almost sneaking out of his car and up to the door. He doesn’t want to wake any of the neighbors by shutting his door too loudly, and he most definitely doesn’t want to wake Uncle up. 

He unlocks the door and steps inside as quietly as he can. Once inside, he’s able to better control the front door as he closes and locks it nearly silently. He takes off his shoes, padding through to the main room, hunting for some kind of paper. He finds a stack of sticky notes and a pen on the low tea table in front of the sofa, and quickly writes a little note to Uncle, letting him know that Zuko is spending the night. 

Zuko takes out his phone to check the time and sees that it’s nearly three in the morning. Zuko runs a tired hand over his face, sighing softly. _I tried to go to bed at 10:30,_ Zuko thinks sadly, mourning his loss of sleep. 

Holding his phone reminds Zuko of the unheard voicemail from his father. 

Zuko looks at his phone for a long moment, coming to a decision. On Sokka’s advice, he’s not listening to this voicemail, not right now. Maybe he will in the morning with Uncle, or maybe he’ll have Uncle listen to it on his own first. But right now, Zuko’s not listening to it. 

He leaves his phone on the tea table, taking his sticky note, and heading down the hall. Zuko sticks the note onto Uncle’s door, so hopefully, he’ll see it when he wakes up and knows that Zuko’s there. If not, he’ll either notice Zuko’s phone or shoes and put two and two together. 

Zuko goes into his old room, and the way everything still looks the way he left it goes a long way to helping Zuko keep that calm feeling he’s been trying to hold onto. Zuko thinks about leaving the bedroom door open, or at least cracked, but decides against it. If Uncle doesn’t see the note, he doesn’t want to freak him out by having one of the first things he sees being a body in his spare room.

Zuko closes the door, taking off his sweater, leaving him in a t-shirt and sweats. He turns off the light, crawling into bed. Zuko lets his mind wander for a bit, trying to stay away from topics that might stress him out. He has a plan to talk to Uncle in the morning, he’s safe here, away from his father, and he can rest easy knowing that Uncle will help him through this. 

His thoughts stray to Sokka somehow, and Zuko can’t help but wonder if they will meet again. It doesn’t seem completely unlikely; they live in the same town, and have a common thread in Piandao and his Uncle’s other Pai Sho buddies who also double as university professors. If Zuko were even a little bit more spiritual or a bit more like Uncle, Zuko may be tempted to say his meeting Sokka was like destiny or fate or any of the other mystical sounding things that Uncle says. 

Zuko doesn’t think he would mind seeing Sokka again, even under the circumstances in which they met tonight.


	2. Moonlight and McFlurries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka struggles his way through Yue's anniversary. Zuko struggles his way through his feelings about Azula. McFlurries are involved.
> 
> Thank god the ice cream machine works.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is... long. Sokka demanded I explore his trauma about Yue, and then Azula wanted in on the action, too, and plot keeps sneaking in when I didn't tell it to. Not beta-read, so mistakes are my own. I hope y'all enjoy!

Sokka gets over what he starts mentally calling ‘The Grading Incident’. 

The next time he goes to Professor Piandao’s class, the man looks a little stressed and very apologetic. Piandao apologizes to all of them again, promising to double-check from now on and make sure that doesn’t happen again. 

When class is over, and Sokka is gathering up his things and Piandao is clearing off his table for his next demonstration, he starts chatting to Sokka. 

“I truly am sorry about that mess, Sokka,” Professor Piandao says. “I can’t imagine how upset you and any else who saw their grades like that must have been.” 

“I’m not gonna lie, it definitely wasn’t fun,” Sokka admits. “I was kind of freaking out for a bit.” 

Piandao winces. “Maybe I’ll take my friend's nephew up on his offer to help me with my grade books,” he muses. “He’s taken my classes before so he’s familiar enough with my grading style. It’s not like it would be hard either, I’m at his uncles’ every Saturday for Pai Sho nights anyway. Hm, I may have just convinced myself.”

_My friend's nephew,_ Sokka thinks, remembering what Zuko had said a few nights ago, about his uncle being friends with some of the engineering professors and having taken Piandao before. _I wonder._

“Your friend's nephew wouldn’t be named Zuko, would he?” Sokka asks, shouldering his bag. 

Piandao looks at him in surprise. “Yes, actually. You know him?” 

“Hardly, I only met him by chance the other night. He um, was witness to my little school-related breakdown in the middle of a McDonald's parking lot,” Sokka admits, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Oh, dear,” Piandao groans. “Again, I’m so sorry. Maybe I will have to ask him for help, just to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.” 

“It might not be a bad idea,” Sokka jokes. And then, because he can never leave well enough alone. “I have to get to another class soon, but could I ask you something?” 

“Of course.”

“I’m sure you’ll see Zuko before I will next, so when you see him, could you thank him for me? And tell him he was right,” Sokka says, already backing away. 

“Sure,” Piandao says, though he definitely sounds confused. 

“Great, bye!” And with that, Sokka escapes from the shop room. 

Who knows, maybe the next time Sokka sees Zuko won’t be in the middle of the night because of a breakdown. 

Sokka may have jinxed himself with that thought. 

***

Sokka had thought he’d been doing a little better with the whole mental health thing, especially after his last meltdown. 

He’s kept himself calm and collected, organizing all of his work and not procrastinating even a little bit. He makes sure he spends time with his family and friends. He tries to sleep a decent amount of hours a night and eats (semi) balanced meals. 

Maybe that’s why, when he notices the upcoming date, it hits him so hard. 

Yue’s anniversary always hits him hard, but for some reason, it’s hitting him a lot harder this year. 

Yue was a girl Sokka had dated when they were both fifteen and maybe a little childish but they had liked each other _so much_ . Sokka can confidently say that Yue was the first person outside of his family that Sokka really, truly, _loved._ Sokka might fall too hard and he might fall too fast, but rarely is he ever wrong when he reads people and decides that he could love them. 

Yue was so kind, gentle, and _good._ Too good for this world really. She never thought ill of anyone, tried her best to treat everyone she met with respect and kindness, even if that wasn’t always returned, and she was so _selfless,_ always putting everyone else before her. 

Sokka had become so enamored with her so quickly. At first, he was struck by how beautiful she was; all dark skin and light hair and beautiful eyes and the softest smile. Then, he’d gotten to know her and fell even deeper because of her personality. Being with Yue had made Sokka want to be a better person, had made him want to be worthy of her because he saw the world in her eyes. Being with Yue made Sokka feel like he was on top of the world. 

It didn’t matter that they were young. It didn’t matter that they were high school sweethearts and probably weren’t going to be together forever. Right then, when it was just the two of them, Sokka could have sworn he could do anything as long he had Yue by his side. 

And then she had gotten sick. 

It felt like it had come out of nowhere. One day, she was happy and healthy, her entire life left in front of her and all the possibilities in the world; and the next day she was collapsing and being rushed to the hospital, test after test being done to find out _what was wrong_ and then being told she didn’t have much longer to live. 

Sokka had watched as Yue grew weaker everyday right before their eyes. He tried to be there for Yue’s father Arnook, who had already lost his wife and was now on the verge of losing his only child as well. Sokka had tried to be strong for Yue, too, visiting her every day and trying his best to keep her spirits up. Katara went with him sometimes, keeping Yue up to date on all their favorite shows and helping him take her mind off things. Aang went with them sometimes, offering Yue his own comforts in the form of what his guardian Gyatso had taught him. Sometimes Yue asked to talk to Aang alone, said his beliefs about life and spirituality brought her a feeling of peace, but she didn’t like the sad looks on Sokka and her fathers faces when Aang talked about it with her. 

Being with Yue during those last few days was maybe the most painful of his life. She had been stagnant for a while, not getting worse, but not getting _better_ , either. And what had hurt the most, Yue had seemed to just _accept_ that she wasn’t going to be there much longer. 

(“I know I’m not going to get better,” she had whispered to Sokka one night. She kept her voice low, so as not to disturb her father sleeping in a chair on the other side of her. 

“Don’t say things like that,” Sokka had practically begged. He remembered his voice breaking harshly as he held back tears and tried to keep his voice down. “Please, you can’t think like that.”

“Sokka, I can feel it,” Yue said, wiping a tear from his face. “Maybe this was always how it was meant to be.” 

“No, no this can’t be how it was meant to be,” he’d argued, letting the tears fall. “You’ve hardly _lived,_ Yue, you can’t just stop fighting.”

“Sokka,” she whispers, cupping his face in her hands and making him look at her. “I feel at peace with this, I _know_ this is how things are meant to be.”

“Yue, please,” Sokka had said, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m not ready to lose you. _We’re_ not ready to lose you.”

“I’ll always be with you,” she whispers. “You’re not losing me, not forever, but you’re going to have to let me go, for now.”)

She had gone quickly after that, losing more strength every day. It seemed that Yue had a similar conversation with her father because while he was still a wreck, he was more accepting of it. Sokka had stopped going to school as frequently, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible. His father hadn’t exactly been happy about it, but he’d understood where Sokka’s desire was coming from. Yue hadn’t fought him on it either, saying that she was glad he was there with her. 

Arnook and Sokka were both there when she went, passing quietly during the night under the light of the full moon. Neither of them had cried, they’d all been expecting it, but Arnook hugged Sokka a lot tighter as they waited for Hakoda to come so he could take Sokka home. 

Arnook had put all of his energy into preserving Yue’s memory in the aftermath of her passing. He started an organization in her name that focused on supporting kids and young adults who came from single-parent or guardian homes, bringing the community together to support each other in the wake of a tragedy. Sokka had helped as much as he could and neither of them judged when one of them started crying. 

Sokka had been a mess for a long time after. He didn’t go to school for two weeks, staying in the house and letting himself mourn. His father had let him, encouraged him, held him when he cried, listened when he raged, and tried his best to help when Sokka fell into silence. Katara helped as she could, able to comfort him in a way that their father really couldn’t. Aang helped, too, his beliefs and teachings offering a different kind of comfort that he didn’t even know he needed. 

Eventually, Sokka forced himself to get back into the swing of things. He went back to school, did all of his work, totally throwing himself into his studies. He didn’t talk as much, and no one pushed him. He found himself being a lot more protective over Katara and Aang, who were, at that point, Sokka’s closest friends. They let him hover, but set their boundaries and he tries his hardest to respect them. They met Toph soon after, this little blind girl with the massive guide dog who could most definitely kick any and everyone’s ass. 

Toph goes a long way in helping Sokka get over his overprotectiveness. He’ll always be protective over Katara in some way though. After losing their mom, and then Yue, Sokka feels perfectly justified in making sure that his baby sister is safe at all times. 

(And, Sokka will never tell Toph this, but if anyone ever manages to hurt her and she doesn’t take care of them herself, well. 

Sokka has a sword, is all he’s saying.) 

And then, Sokka meets Suki and it feels like Yue all over again. 

Sokka can't stop the feelings of affection he has for her, even though he tries to hold them back. They start as friends and quickly turn into more the closer they get to each other. He tries to control his fear of losing her, too, and they talk a lot about how Sokka feels. About her, about Yue, about his mom. About how he’s afraid of losing the people he loves _all the time_. Sokka knows that everyone he hangs out with is perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, but that doesn’t stop his worry. 

He and Suki date for the beginning of college, but mutually separate when Suki moves away to start her own dojo. His time with Suki helped him to settle himself and become a little more confident and secure. He’s not as afraid anymore and he’s learned to not be quite so protective. 

But his progress doesn’t make Yue’s anniversary any easier. 

When he notices the date is coming up, it’s like all of the liveliness is sucked out of him. 

He’s writing down his schedule for the week, planning out his work, and figuring out when he might have time to squeeze in a sparring session with Toph. Then, it hits him. 

Thursday is Yue’s anniversary. It’s Monday today, and even though midterms are over, that doesn’t mean college exactly ever slows down. He knows it’s important to go to every class and put in the effort, but he knows he’s going to be distracted for the rest of the week. 

It hurts, too, that he hadn’t been more aware of the upcoming date. 

He knows he’s not going to be able to go to any of his classes on Thursday. It may have been a few years, but every anniversary is hard and he knows he’ll be practically useless. He has Piandao’s class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and he hopes if he talks to Piandao in person he’ll be more understanding of Sokka missing class. His other professors, he doesn’t really feel comfortable enough to tell face to face, so he’ll email. He might skip Wednesday, too, if he’s feeling bad enough. 

Sokka leaves his room, feeling a little bit empty and a lot sad. Aang and Katara are in the kitchen; Aang is cooking some kind of dish, and Katara is sitting at the island doing homework. 

Aang looks over at him as he enters, the easy smile falling from his face. 

“What’s wrong, Sokka? You don’t look too good,” Aang asks. 

“Oh, um,” he mumbles. “I just noticed the date. Yue’s anniversary is on Thursday.” 

“Oh, Sokka,” Katara says, coming over to him and wrapping him in a hug. “What are you thinking you want to do?”

“I don’t know,” he mumbles into Katara’s hair. “I know I’m not gonna go to class. Piandao will understand, I’m sure. And I’ll message Arnook, maybe call dad and Bato, hang out here.”

Every anniversary, without fail, Sokka and Arnook still talk, offering condolences and small talk. Arnook has completely focused on the organization, having upgraded to also owning a building where kids can spend their time safely. 

“You want me to stay with you?” Katara asks. Sokka knows she wouldn’t judge if he asked her to stay, and she’d do it without an ounce of hesitation. She’d stay with him and cuddle on the sofa full of blankets and pillows and let him be exactly as clingy as he wants. 

But, she’s in her second year of medical studies, and Thursdays are her lab classes, and he cannot, in good conscience, ask her to miss class for him. He wants her close to him, hesitates to let her out of his sight near the anniversary, but he knows asking her to stay would cause problems for her. 

“I’ll be fine on my own until your classes are over, don’t worry,” Sokka tries to reassure her. 

“You sure?”

“Positive.” 

“If you change your mind,” she assures him. “All you have to do is say.” 

“I know,” Sokka presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Thank you.” 

The next day, Sokka goes up to Piandao after class, asking if he could speak to him privately quickly. 

“Of course, my boy,” Piandao says, wiping grease off his hands. “I wanted to tell you actually, I saw Zuko this weekend, passed along your message.” 

“Oh?” Sokka asks, surprised out of his slightly sullen mood. 

“Mhm, he seemed quite shocked, but asked me to pass along his own thanks, as well. Apparently he took some advice you gave him? His exact words were ‘tell him I didn’t do the thing I was freaking out about and it was a good idea.’ No idea what that means,” Piandao explains. 

“Oh, well, I’m glad that thing worked out for him,” Sokka says, still a little frazzled. So, Zuko never ended up listening to that voicemail from his dad? Sokka had mostly been talking out of his ass, trying anything to get Zuko off the brink of a panic attack. But, if he listened to Sokka, and had his uncle listen to that voicemail instead of listening to it himself, and it turned out to be a good thing? Sokka _does not_ want to know what was on that voicemail, and he’s glad Zuko doesn’t know either. 

The classroom is empty now, and Piandao locks the door so the next class can’t start to file in yet. “Now, what is it you wanted to talk about? You’ve been quiet in class today, is everything alright?” 

“Well, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Sokka says, shifting nervously and fiddling with his bag. “This week is going to be kind of rough for me. And I won’t be able to come to class on Thursday.” 

Piandao looks extremely concerned, eyebrows furrowed and eyes shining. “Is everything alright, Sokka? Do you need some help with something? In some kind of trouble?”

“No, nothing like that,” tears are suddenly burning in Sokka’s eyes and he blinks them back harshly. “It’s just, Thursday is the anniversary of someone I lost, and I know it’s gonna be a hard day for me. It always is, it’s just hitting a little harder this year, for some reason.” 

“Sokka,” Piandao says seriously, waiting until Sokka looks up at him to continue. “You take all the time you need. Don’t worry about coming to class next week if you feel like you still need a bit of a breather. You’re a smart kid, one of the most talented students I’ve ever taught, if you need it, use my class time to give yourself a break.” 

Sokka sniffles, rubbing at his nose. “I should be fine by next week,” he says. “But thank you.” 

“Of course,” Piandao walks Sokka to the door, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you worry about a thing where I’m concerned, alright? And try to get some rest, you look exhausted.” 

“Will do,” Sokka says, shooting the man as much of a smile he can muster. “Thank you again.” 

Sokka spends Wednesday in a bit of a haze, all too aware of what tomorrow will be. He ends up going to class if only to see if it will help distract him, but it doesn’t work. He honestly doesn’t know if it would’ve been better to stay home or not. At home he would’ve been able to be however upset he wanted, but at school, he has to at least force some semblance of calm. 

It only works to make him feel empty. 

Thursday morning, Sokka stays in bed until he’s sure Katara is gone for classes. He’d hardly slept the night before, lost in his thoughts and memories, and he’s pretty sure he’d been crying in his sleep and he doesn’t want Katara to see him yet. He gets straight into the shower, hoping that might make him feel better, or at the very least, look a little better in case he ends up face timing his dad. 

The shower makes him feel more awake and less groggy, and he figures that’s better than nothing. He looks a little tired, and even Sokka can admit there’s not really a light behind his eyes, but he can’t muster up the energy to be anything other than upset today. He dresses in comfortable clothes; an old sweater of his dad’s that still smells like him, a pair of sweats, and the fluffiest socks he owns. He knows if he goes and swathes himself in blankets and pillows on the couch like he wants that he won’t get up for the rest of the day, so he forces himself into the kitchen to make something to eat. 

But first, he messages Arnook. 

They don’t call each other, not anymore. It hurts just a little too much on a day that’s already too painful, so they spare each other this one thing. The messages don’t stop, though, and Sokka honestly doesn’t know what he would do without this little piece of Yue to hold on to. 

The message he sends is simple; _Thinking of you both today. I hope you’re doing okay. I’ll be here if you need anything._

It usually takes Arnook some time to respond, but today he gets a response almost immediately. 

_I don’t mean to scare you by replying so quickly, but I was already on my phone when I received your message. Usually today I spend my time alone, as you know. This year I’m trying something different. One of the kids from the program has a birthday today, and I’m wondering if celebrating a life will help me feel any different. I think Yue would like for us to not be so sad._

_I hope you are doing well, Sokka. As always, I’m only a message or phone call away if you wish to talk._

That… kind of throws Sokka for a loop. He’d tried, a few years ago, to stay distracted on the anniversary instead of so actively mourning her, but that had ended up making him feel worse with an added layer of guilt on top. He doesn’t know how he feels about what Arnook is planning to do today, but some part of Sokka agrees that Yue would probably like it. So he responds;

_I don’t think she would want us to be so sad, too. For what it’s worth, I think she would like for you to celebrate life instead of focusing on losing it._

_Tell the kid happy birthday for me, please._

Sokka stands straight from where he was leaning against the kitchen wall, looking around a little helplessly. 

The silence is suddenly too much. 

He calls his dad, putting the phone on speaker and setting it down on the island, puttering around the kitchen and pulling out some things for breakfast. 

His dad answers with a bright, “Good morning, son.” And Sokka wants to cry. 

“Hi dad,” he says, trying to put some feeling into his voice. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. How are you feeling?”

“Um,” Sokka thinks for a moment, really taking stock of himself. “I think not as bad as I was feeling earlier. But still kind of sad.”

“That’s alright,” his dad assures. “You can feel sad today. What was it that made you feel a little better?”

“I talked to Arnook, a little. He said one of the kids he works with is having a birthday today, and he was going to try and celebrate today instead of letting himself be upset.”

“And how do you feel about that?” He asks cautiously. 

“I think I feel okay,” Sokka decides. “I know Yue wouldn’t want us to be so sad, and celebrating a life seems like something she would approve of. Makes me want to do a little more than sitting around the house, but I don’t want to go anywhere, either.” 

“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling a bit more encouraged, at the very least. If you’d rather, perhaps doing something small, like going to the store, to see how leaving the house makes you feel. But no one will fault you for wanting to stay in. What are you doing now?”

“I’m making breakfast now. Pancakes. And, I don’t know, leaving right now during the day feels like it might be overwhelming. The thought is there, but I’m not sure I want to leave yet.”

“Maybe tonight then,” Dad offers easily. “Or not at all, whatever you think will be best for you. And I do have to say, pancakes sound amazing right now, honestly. Are you using your Gran-Gran’s recipe?”

“Of course, there’s no other way to make them.” 

“Right you are, son. So, how are classes going?”

They talk for a little longer, about school, and what’s going on at home, and the conversation flows easily. Sokka lets himself enjoy the soft, grounding sound of his father's voice, interspersed with the occasional comment from Bato in the background, and lets himself feel safe and comforted. He stays on the phone until he finishes cooking and gathers all of his stuff in the living room. 

They say goodbye, and his dad repeats his ‘I love you’ more than a couple times, but it’s fine because Sokka needs it and says it right back. He eats his pancakes to the background noise of Real Housewives of Ember Island, not really paying attention to the drama, but grateful for the noise. 

Sokka tried to get some work done. He does some math assignments, looks over some notes, makes a stack of note cards. Professor Piandao has emailed him notes from today’s class, so he goes over them as best he can, making some notes on things he might want more clarity on. 

Eventually, though, he can’t focus on work anymore and settles down in front of the TV. It’s late afternoon now, and Katara should be home in a few hours. He thinks about maybe going out and to the store like his dad suggested, but the antsy feeling from before has subsided and he doesn’t feel like going anywhere. He puts on a movie, a happy one because he cannot deal with a sad movie right now, and snuggles into the couch, hoping that he might be able to nap away some of his tiredness from his shitty night’s sleep. 

He spends an unknown amount of time in kind of a haze. His thoughts wander to everything and nothing at the same time. He’s staring at the TV but he’s not watching what’s happening. He thinks about Yue and how she definitely wouldn’t want him to be feeling like this. He doesn’t feel like himself; he feels slow, and cold, and doesn’t want to feel like this but he doesn’t know how to _stop_. He feels like this on his mom’s anniversary, too, and he hates the feeling, but he doesn’t know how else _to_ feel. 

He can’t be in denial, it’s been too long without these people he cares about. He doesn’t want to be angry, he went through that stage of grief for all too long, and he hated the person that uncontrollable anger turned him into. If Sokka had to guess, he’d say he’s somewhere in between the depression and acceptance stages of grief. He feels helpless during this time, his feelings of fear and uselessness coming back full force just thinking of how powerless he was to help Yue. He seeks comfort from his family and friends, leaning on them to help him through the days before and after. 

He thinks he’s moved on and accepted it as much as he ever will. He’s living his life how he wants, and he doesn’t hold himself back from love anymore. But still, when he feels as bad as this, he feels like he’s not doing enough. 

Eventually, he drifts off, going in and out of sleep. He doesn’t dream, which he’s thankful for. The last thing he needs right now are fucking dreams. 

Sokka wakes up to Katara gently shaking his shoulder. He looks around, seeing through the curtains that it’s almost dark outside now, and the volume on the TV has been turned down. 

“Hey,” Sokka mumbles out, his voice scratchy from having just woken up. Katara’s hand moved to his hair, fingers carding through the loose strands. 

“Hey,” she whispers back. “I got home a little while ago, let you keep sleeping while I showered.” 

“How was class?” Sokka asks. He nuzzles a little closer to Katara, soaking up the affection she’s giving him. His eyes burn a little, and he wants to cry at how gentle she’s being. 

“It was good,” she says. “We learned how to do sutures and stitches today.” 

“Don’t tell me you practiced on each other,” he tries to joke. 

“No, dummy. We used a dummy.” 

Sokka gives her a small smile, trying to laugh but it just comes out as a slightly louder breath. 

“Here,” Katara says suddenly. “Budge up. Let me sit.” 

Sokka sits up, making space for Katara to sit down next to him, which she does. Sokka tries to cuddle into her side, but instead, she pulls him down so he’s laying with his head in her lap. She goes back to stroking his hair, taking the remote and putting on one of her shows. 

“So what did you do today?” Katara asks casually. 

“Made breakfast, called dad and talked to him for a while, did some homework, made some flashcards, tried to watch a movie but fell asleep. Texted Arnook a bit,” he says. 

“How is he?” Katara asks, keeping her casual tone and Sokka really appreciates it. 

“Doing okay, so he says. He said he was gonna spend the day with one of the kids he works with. They’re having a birthday party.” 

“Sounds fun.”

“Yeah, I think it’ll be nice.”

“And how are you feeling?”

Sokka takes a shuddering breath. “Sad,” he says. “I think talking to Arnook helped a little, because the last few days I’ve been feeling, I don’t know, empty. But today I feel sad. I felt a little antsy this morning, but that went away.” 

“So, now you just feel sad,” Katara whispers. 

“Yeah,” he says, tears filling his eyes again. 

“I miss her,” he whispers, letting the tears out, finally. 

Katara holds him while he cries, lets him get it all out. She doesn’t say much, doesn’t try to get him to calm down and stop crying. She knows he’s been holding it in, trying to keep himself together this week, so she lets cry as much as he wants to. 

Eventually, his tears taper off, and he’s just sniffling in Katara’s lap while she’s still calmly carding through his hair. He wants to apologize, tell her she doesn’t have to deal with him when he’s like this, that he hates it when he seems weak in front of her, that he won’t be like this next year. But, that’s probably a lie, and they have that conversation almost every year, and Katara always says she doesn’t mind, that she _wants_ to help him and be there for him and she doesn’t think he’s weak. He doesn’t want to repeat the conversation again, he just wants to be close to his sister. 

They spend the night cuddled on the sofa and watching movies. They order food, because neither of them feels like cooking, and they eat on the sofa while watching _The Lorax_. Occasionally, Sokka starts crying again, but that’s fine because he knows Katara won’t judge. He texts dad a little bit, letting him know that he’s with Katara and is doing okay. Aang texts him and they message for a while. Sokka’s not feeling terrible, but he’s not quite feeling _good_ either. He still wants to cry, and he wants to be upset and wallow in the pain for a little longer, but he knows Katara is getting tired, and he knows he should try to go to bed, too. 

“Think we should try to go to bed,” he says to Katara. “It’s almost midnight.”

“Is it really?” she asks, looking at the time on her phone. “You sure you want to go to bed? Neither of us have class on Fridays, we can stay up as long as you want.”

Sokka tuts at her. “Don’t give me that,” he says. “You had class all day, I know you’re tired, you need sleep. And I’m pretty tired, too. Who knew laying down all day and crying would be so exhausting,” he tries to joke. 

Katara hushes him, pinching his ear a little. She pushes him off her lap, and he goes willingly, if not a little slowly. Sokka watches her stand and stretch and gets up to help her clear the living room of their trash. They clean up in silence, making sure all the garbage is thrown away and folding the considerable amount of blankets Sokka had swaddled them in. 

Before Katara goes to her room, she pulls Sokka into another tight hug, and he returns it eagerly. 

“Alright,” Katara says, pulling away after a few moments. “Goodnight. Get some sleep.”

“Night, sis,” Sokka says, watching her go into her room before entering his. He contemplates taking a shower but ultimately decides to just lay down and try to sleep. He does change his clothes, though, putting on a different pair of pajamas so he feels a bit more fresh. 

He tosses and turns a bit, not able to fall right to sleep. Maybe because he laid around all day and took a nap, but Sokka almost feels wide awake, that antsy feeling from earlier coming back. He tries to distract himself for a while by going on his phone and checking his social media, but that only works for so long. He clicks between a few different apps, checks his email, goes back through his social media apps _again_ before he tries to sleep again. 

He tries counting sheep, tries to take deep measured breaths, tries letting his mind wander and hopes he falls asleep in the middle of a daydream, but nothing works. 

He looks at the time and sees that it’s just past 1 am. Katara is probably asleep by now, with how tired she was and Sokka doesn’t think he’s going to sleep anytime soon. 

He needs a distraction. 

Sokka gets up and leaves his bedroom as quietly as he can. He doesn’t bother to change, he’s only planning on going for a quick drive to maybe tire his brain out, he’s not planning on seeing anyone. He leaves a note for Katara on the fridge, in case she wakes up, letting her know that he’ll be back soon and has his phone with him. 

He slips on his shoes, does a pat-down, making sure he has his phone, wallet, and keys. He leaves quietly, double-checking that the door is locked behind him. 

With that, he gets in the car, ready to drive and try to clear his head so he can sleep. 

* * *

Zuko never listens to the voicemail that his father left him on the night he now mentally refers to as ‘The McDonald’s Incident’. 

He wakes up in the morning a little groggy, but otherwise more rested than he’s felt in a while. He stays in bed for a while, just resting. He can hear Uncle in the kitchen, singing along to a song on the radio, and Zuko feels at peace right now. 

He doesn’t feel anxious, he doesn’t feel afraid, he doesn’t feel angry. 

He just feels nice.

He hopes he can feel like this for a lot longer. 

Zuko eventually gets out of bed, looking around the room to see what clothes he still has here. He puts on a worn shirt and old pair of jeans, heading out into the main area of the house. He spots Uncle in the kitchen, putting together breakfast and tending to a pot of tea on the stove. He looks over to Zuko when he enters, smiling widely at him. 

“Zuko,” Uncle calls out. He comes over, pulling Zuko into a hug. Normally, he might try and wiggle out of it, but this time he allows Uncle to latch onto him. “How kind of you to surprise me with a visit.”

“Hm, I guess we can pretend I came over out of the kindness of my heart for now,” Zuko says. 

“Oh, nephew,” Uncle says, pulling back. “I had hoped this visit wasn’t due to negative circumstances. But nevermind that, we’ll chat after breakfast.”

“Alright,” Zuko agrees easily. “How can I help?”

Zuko and Uncle finish making breakfast in relative silence, moving around each other with ease. They sit at the table, eating quietly. One of the things that Zuko appreciates the most about Uncle is the fact that he’s comfortable sitting in silence with Zuko. He’s not always the best at making small talk, so being able to sit with Uncle and not have to worry about things like that is reassuring. 

After they eat, Zuko offers to do the washing up, since he slept through the start of Uncle’s cooking. Uncle stands in the kitchen with him, not saying anything but watching Zuko with a soft look. When Zuko is almost finished, Uncle puts on another pot of tea, and Zuko rolls his eyes good-naturedly. 

“Ah, do not give me that look, nephew. Difficult conversations require a nice cup of calming tea.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Zuko says dutifully, placing the last plate to dry. Zuko takes his offered tea, following Uncle into the living room. They sit next to each other, though Zuko tries to leave a little bit of space between them. 

“What is it that’s caused you to come here last night, Zuko?” Uncle asked, sipping his tea.

“He found my number again,” Zuko says without preamble, leaning back into the sofa, sighing. “It wasn’t a fun night.”

“Oh, Zuko,” Uncle squeezes Zuko’s shoulder slightly. “What all happened?”

“He called at first,” Zuko says, reaching forward and grabbing his phone from the tea table, handing it to Uncle. “I didn’t answer and there was no voicemail so I didn’t think about it at first. I went to take a shower and when I looked at my phone again, there were a bunch of missed calls and texts, all from him. I read the texts, and there was one voicemail, the last time I looked, but I didn’t listen to it.”

Uncle is looking through the text messages on his phone, shaking his head the further down he goes. The hand on his shoulder squeezes a little tighter. 

“Do you want to listen to it?” Uncle asks softly. 

Zuko thinks for a moment. He’s curious, and he’s always been weak when it comes to things his father says. Part of him wants to listen to it. He’s never _not_ listened or read any of the things his father sends him. He’s always felt like he has to.

Then, he starts thinking about what Sokka has said last night. He’d been trying to calm Zuko down, sure, but he’d made a good point. There’s _nothing forcing_ Zuko to listen to the voicemail. He doesn’t have to and no one is making him. In fact, his Uncle actively _discourages_ him from listening to everything. So, he makes up his mind. 

“No,” he says. “No, I don’t think I want to know what it says.” 

“Alright,” Uncle agrees easily. “Don’t you worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” 

And he does. Uncle takes his phone and goes into his bedroom, where Zuko thinks he listens to the message and records it to store with the others. He comes back out, handing Zuko his phone back. The texts and the voicemails are gone, and the number that his father had used this time is blocked. 

“If you’re feeling up to it, we can go and change your number again. I don’t have anything to do today, so we can make a day out of it!” Uncle offers, trying to make it sound cheerful. Zuko knows, though, that Uncle is saying they’ll try driving even further away, so the number has a different area code from the one before. 

“Sure,” Zuko agrees. “We’ll take your car then. Better mileage.” _He doesn’t have the guts to have someone follow your car, but someone might follow mine._

“Wonderful!” Uncle cheers. “I’ll go get dressed!”

***

After that, Zuko tries his best not to think about things with his father unless he really has to. 

The number change seems to have worked for now. Zuko’s not getting any more calls or texts from his father or anyone else that he hasn’t given his number personally. (That list of people extends to Uncle, Mai, and Piandao. Mai has his number because she’s greatly distanced herself from anything having to do with his father and Azula, and they reconnected and have stayed mostly in contact. Piandao has his number because he’s known the man for years, much longer than when he took one of Piandao’s classes, and he trusts the man almost as much as he trusts Uncle.) Zuko hasn’t noticed anyone following him, but that doesn’t mean he really lets his guard down. Things are quiet right now, and Zuko tries to keep himself from stressing too much. 

For the most part, he’s successful with that. He starts reading some of the books that he bought with the intention to read and never did. Zuko graduated with an English degree, since he’s always liked the arts better than anything else his father always pushed at him, so he starts thinking about what he could do with that once this is all over and done with. He helps out at Uncle’s little tea shop, serving tea and washing dishes. He and his Uncle have another meeting with the lawyer representing him, showing him the latest texts, voicemails, and letters that his father has sent him. When they start to listen to the voicemails, Zuko asks if he can leave the room, and they let him. 

So, he thinks he’s doing a bit better. The trial is in a few months, and the lawyer says that they’re making a strong case; that if Ozai keeps acting out like this, he might find himself with more charges than just a restraining order. 

Of course, that’s when things get more complicated. 

He starts the night off in a good enough mood. It’s Saturday, and he’s at his Uncle’s hanging out during Pai Sho night. It might be a little lame, sitting in a room full of grown adults and old men as a twenty-three-year-old; but he’s known these men since his early teenage years, and they’ve watched him grow up, so it’s not as strange as it probably should be. 

The men have gotten a few drinks in them, making playing Pai Sho a bit more difficult but also a lot more interesting for Zuko to watch. He’s trying to get them all to drink a glass of water, but it’s not going very well. Of the men that are there, Bumi is absolutely shit-faced and is laying on the ground, ranting about… something. Cabbages, maybe? Uncle is getting giggly, Jeong Jeong is asleep on the sofa, and Piandao is pretending to hold himself together, but is also giggling a little bit. Pakku had skipped this weekend, but that’s fine because Zuko doesn’t like him much anyway. 

He hands Piandao a glass of water, but apparently, bringing himself into Piandao’s line of vision was a bad idea. 

“Zuko!” Piandao says, just a bit too loud. “I have a message for you.”

“And what would that be?” Zuko asks, playing along. 

“One of my students, Sokka, told me he knew you. Asked me to pass along a message.” 

That piques Zuko’s interest. His cheeks blush a little, and he hopes no one really notices. “What did Sokka want you to tell me?” Zuko asks, trying for casual. 

“He says ‘thank you and you were right’. No idea what that’s about and I didn’t ask,” Piandao says, drinking the water Zuko gave him. 

Zuko’s definitely blushing when he says, “Well, will you tell him something for me, too?”

“Of course.”

“Tell him I didn’t do the thing I was freaking out about and it was a good idea.”

“That’s it? Consider it done,” Piandao promises, turning his attention back to the Pai Sho board. Uncle is giving him a curious look, but Zuko doesn’t look back at him. Uncle’s attention is forced away from him when Piandao makes a move that captures one of Uncle’s tiles. 

Zuko goes back to the armchair he’s been occupying all night, watching them play for a while longer.

Then, his phone rings. 

Zuko silences it quickly, staring at the private number, watching it go to voicemail. Zuko’s interest is piqued, though. Usually, numbers from his father aren’t already private or blocked, so he wonders what it is. Whoever the caller was leaves a voicemail, and Zuko is tempted to go into his room and listen to it. Then, a text comes through. 

_You probably aren’t going to listen to the voicemail, but it’s Azula. Call or text me back._

Zuko… Zuko is floored. 

Azula had rarely messaged Zuko when he still lived at home with her and their father. And since he moved out and started fighting back against their father, he hasn’t heard a peep from Azula. 

Zuko desperately wants this to be a good thing. 

He looks around the room, and figures that all the men are decently distracted, so Zuko gets up and heads to his bedroom. 

_What do you want, Azula?_

_I want to meet up and talk to you. Maybe Uncle, too._

_Just say what you want to say now. I don’t need to see you in person to hear you try and defend dad._

Azula doesn’t respond for a few minutes, and Zuko thinks that’s it. He puts his phone down and sighs heavily. He wants to believe that Azula is wanting to hear his side of things, even though she was witness to most of the abuse he suffered at their father’s hands, encouraging some of it, even. But he forces himself to be wary. As much as he wants his sister back in his life, he has to put himself first this time. 

Then his phone rings. 

Zuko watches it for a second, and his thoughts skid to a halt. 

He answers. 

“Hello,” he says cautiously. 

“Zuko,” Azula’s voice comes through. She’s talking quietly, and her voice is a little different from the last time they spoke, but for the most part, she still sounds like herself. Like his little sister. 

“Azula,” he says back, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. 

“Father’s not home right now, so this has to be quick,” she says. “I want to see you because I can’t have this conversation over the phone, either texting or calling. He’ll see it somehow and I don’t want him to.” 

“What’s going on, Azula?” he asks suspiciously. 

“Dad’s been going crazy since you got that judge to hear your case. He’s letting his temper get away from him, and it’s getting out of control,” she says quickly and quietly, like she doesn’t want to get caught. 

“Has he hurt you?” Zuko asks bluntly because he needs to know. He doesn’t think his father has ever put his hands on his sister, but if he has... Zuko might not fight back often when it comes to himself, but if that man has hurt his baby sister, Zuko cannot be held accountable for what he does. 

“Look at you, sounding so tough all of a sudden,” Azula snarks, but there’s something off about it. “No, he hasn’t hurt me. He’s yelled a few times, though.” 

“He never yells at you,” Zuko states. 

“I know.”

It’s the way she says it. How she emphasizes it, and the way her voice gets a little deeper like she’s trying to keep emotions out of it when she’s never had to try before, that makes Zuko’s mind up. 

“I’ll talk to Uncle. We’ll figure something out.” 

“Good,” she says and hangs up. 

Well. 

He gets a text soon after. 

_We were talking for too long. If he finds it, he’ll get suspicious. I’m assuming you’re saving all his messages. Save mine, too. I’m deleting this conversation thread in case he takes my phone or looks through anything._

_Wait for me to text you again so I know it’s safe to talk to you like this._

Zuko doesn’t text back, and he doesn’t think Azula means for him to. 

It seems like he’s got a lot to think about now. 

*** 

Zuko doesn’t know if he should wait until Azula texts him again before telling Uncle about their conversation. He wants to tell Uncle right away, but he’s also worried about what Uncle will say. 

When Zuko left at eighteen, Azula was sixteen. Uncle had asked her if she wanted to come, too, and Azula had refused. Loudly. And rudely. Doubling down on everything their father had said and led her to believe about how Uncle is weak and Zuko is just as bad, if not worse. 

Zuko doesn’t think they’ve spoken since. 

He knows he’s acting shifty around Uncle. And he knows that Uncle has noticed. But neither of them have broken and brought it up yet. 

He’s worried that Uncle will tell him to ignore Azula. To not believe a word she says because _Azula always lies._ He’s worried that Uncle will think him naive and weak for wanting to believe Azula. 

Most of all, he’s worried that Uncle will convince him to ignore this, and something _is_ actually wrong between Azula and their father. 

Zuko doesn’t want to lose his sister any more than he already has. 

Things come to a head during the middle of the week. It’s Thursday, and Azula hasn’t texted him yet, and Zuko is worrying. He’s developed a habit of checking his phone, and he knows that Uncle has noticed. Zuko’s not exactly being subtle, pulling his phone out during lunch, and checking it because he thought he felt it vibrate. 

“You’ve been checking your phone a lot lately, nephew,” Uncle starts with forced casualness. “Waiting for a message from a pretty girl? Or boy, perhaps?” 

Occasionally, Zuko regrets coming out to his uncle. 

“Actually,” Zuko says, biting the bullet. “Azula texted me the other night.” 

Uncle freezes. 

“She what?” He asks after a moment of _very_ uncomfortable silence. 

“She texted me,” Zuko repeats. “And then called me. And we talked for a few minutes.” 

“Zuko, why did you not tell me?” Uncle asks. He definitely sounds a little angry and Zuko holds back a flinch. “Who knows what she wants to achieve by doing this. The trial is in two months, the two of them could be up to anything.” 

“I know,” Zuko says. “I know, Uncle. Believe me, I do. I lived with her for sixteen years and with dad for eighteen, believe me, I know how they act.” 

“I didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t,” Uncle tries to placate him. “I’m just worried about you. You know that.” 

“I know that, too, Uncle,” Zuko deflates. “I just, I don’t know. Read the messages, and then I’ll tell you exactly what she said during the call. And _then_ we’ll talk about how we feel about it all. But please, just hold back for a moment.” 

Uncle stares at him for a long time, looking into Zuko’s eyes. Zuko doesn’t know what his face looks like right now, but it’s enough to have Uncle nodding in agreement. Zuko hands over his own, already open to Azula’s messages. Uncle reads in silence, and he stays silent much longer than what is necessary for reading the few messages that are there. 

“What did you two talk about?” Uncle finally asks. His voice is suspiciously even.

Zuko goes over their phone call in detail. Heavy silences, whispered hisses, tone changes, and all. 

“She didn’t sound like herself,” Zuko finishes. “I know it’s been a long time, almost five years. I left when I was eighteen and she was sixteen and now I’m twenty-three and she’s twenty-one. That’s a long time for her to change, to get better at lying and tricking me. But, that’s also _a long time_ that she’s been _alone_ with him.”

Uncle sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “I know, Zuko. I think often about how I did not do enough to get your sister out of that situation when I had the chance. I let her make a decision that, for all intents and purposes, she should not have been able to make, and I did not fight her about it. I just took you and ran.”

“I know you and Azula have never exactly _meshed_ ,” Zuko says. He’s looking down at the table, because they're still in the middle of lunch, and Zuko can’t look at him right now. “But she’s still my sister. Father has _never_ treated Azula as anything less than perfect, and if he’s taking out his anger about _me_ on _her,_ I can’t--”

Zuko cuts himself off, not able to finish that thought. There are tears in his eyes, and he blinks rapidly to try and stave them off. 

“Do you think she’s lying?” Zuko asks instead.

“I can’t be sure,” Uncle says. Zuko knows he’s being stared at, but he refuses to look up. “I admit, what she’s saying sounds worrisome. It doesn’t matter if Azula and I have never really understood each other, I don’t want to see her hurt any more than you do.”

Zuko lets himself flinch that time, closing his eyes as the tears fall. 

“Oh, Zuko,” Uncle whispers, leaving his spot and coming to sit beside Zuko instead, putting an arm around his shoulder. 

“I know she could be lying,” Zuko manages. “I know this could be my father’s idea or even hers to try and make him proud.”

Zuko rubs at his eyes, brushing away tears, “But what if she’s _not?_ What if something’s _wrong?_ I can’t lose my sister, too. _I can’t._ ” 

Uncle is quiet for the time it takes Zuko to get himself under control again. He’s probably thinking things through, weighing the pros and cons, and being _logical_ about things. That’s always been a problem of Zuko’s. He rarely takes time to think things through, almost always acting based on his emotions instead. Uncle is the logical one here, the one who’s making records of everything and talking Zuko down time and time again when Zuko would rather just _act_ because the waiting drives him crazy. 

“I think it’s telling that she told you to keep a record of whatever she sends you,” Uncle says eventually. “If they really wanted to trick you, and somehow undermine our case, I doubt Ozai would allow for Azula to send you anything that makes him look questionable.”

“So what are you thinking?” Zuko questions. He’s not crying anymore, but his breathing is still a little too fast. 

“I think we wait for her to message you again and see what we’re able to work out,” Uncle says. “We’ll make records of the messages and voicemail she’s sent you so far like she said to do, and we’ll go from there.” 

“Okay,” Zuko agrees quietly. They sit there for a while longer. Zuko gets himself fully calmed down, but he stays leaning against Uncle for a little while longer just because he can. They eventually stand and clean the remains of lunch, neither of them seemingly having much of an appetite anymore. 

They spend the rest of the evening kind of tiptoeing around each other. Zuko’s not much in the mood for talking after all the negative emotions and thoughts that already took over his mind today. He thinks Uncle might feel a little guilty, both for Zuko’s little breakdown, and the feelings of guilt that talking about Azula brought up. Zuko tries to distract himself with a book, but he struggles to get into the story. They eat dinner in silence, and Uncle only asks that Zuko let him know when Azula messages him next, and Zuko affirms that he will. Zuko knows he should say something, try to reassure his Uncle that he’s not upset at him, that he understands where the caution comes from, but he can’t muster up the words. 

The best Zuko can make himself do is pull Uncle into a tight hug before Uncle goes to bed. Zuko hugs as tight as he dares, and for as long as he dares. From where his face is buried in Uncle’s shoulder, he says, “Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Zuko,” he says back, squeezing Zuko tighter. “So much.”

Zuko pulls away and clears his throat, which suddenly feels very tight. He nods, not able to say anything else, but that's okay. Uncle claps his shoulders one last time before saying goodnight and entering his room. Zuko goes into his too, but he knows he won’t sleep yet. It’s only nearing 10, and even though Zuko’s eyes sting a little from crying earlier, he doesn’t feel tired. 

He sits on his bed, cuddling up in a blanket with the book he started earlier. He starts reading, in the hopes that it distracts his brain enough to tire him out and keep all other thoughts from his head. Zuko ends up getting sucked into the story, losing track of time, and just enjoying reading. 

Then his phone dings.

Zuko stops, startled out of his haze. He stares at his phone until the screen dims again, and then he picks it up. 

It’s Azula.

Or at least, from the same phone Azula used last time. 

_It’s been five days, I don’t think father noticed anything._ _I should be able to talk to you like this, for now. Have you talked to Uncle?_

Zuko hesitates a little before responding, some of the feelings from earlier coming back. He swallows harshly, making himself focus.

_I did. He wanted to wait and see when you responded again before discussing us meeting at all._

_Good. I’m assuming he’s asleep now. Father should be at meetings all day tomorrow, I’m only expected to be at one of them. I should be able to talk, but text before calling._

_I will._

And that’s it. Azula doesn’t message him further, and Zuko has _no idea_ what to even say if he wanted the conversation to keep going. He’s not sure he wants it to. 

Zuko’s not sure how long he spends staring at his phone, but it’s long enough that the screen has long since gotten dark and his thoughts have wandered to not so nice places. He’s thinking about Azula and how the conversation with his Uncle had brought up some mixed feelings from his childhood. He knows that Azula wasn’t always the kindest to him, preferring to follow their father’s example. It just so happened that their father’s example was to be cruel to Zuko and unkind to the rest of the world. He knows she did it so that she wasn’t treated as badly as others, so that she escaped some of that pain.

He also knows that at some point, she started believing all of the hate their father spouted, and that turned her into a cruel person. He’s all too aware of how she set him up to fail, exaggerated his mistakes so that he would be punished harsher, and encouraged their father’s behavior and added more to it herself. 

But he also remembers when she used to sneak into his room in the middle of the night, crawl into bed with him and ask why mom and dad were fighting again. How she used to ask him to help her braid her hair. How she would ask him to play with her and none of their games were mean or unfair. He remembers being allowed to hug her and coddle her and treat her like his baby sister until their father really got a hold of her. 

He wants that back. So much.

He knows their relationship will never be the same. There’s too much hurt and betrayal there to ever be as innocent as it was. But that doesn’t mean they can’t build something new. 

Zuko just wants Azula to be happy and _safe,_ at the end of the day. Whether that involves Zuko in any way, he doesn’t care. But if this is Azula trying to get some distance between her and their father, then damn it he’ll do whatever he can to help her. 

Zuko snaps himself out of his thoughts eventually, physically shaking himself so he comes back to himself. He feels jittery and nervous now, and he knows he’ll never be able to sleep. 

He needs a distraction. 

As quietly as he can, Zuko gets up, grabs his wallet and phone, and leaves his room, pulling the door shut behind him. He leaves a note for Uncle in case he wakes up, letting him know that he’s fine and he’ll be back soon, and he has his phone. Zuko pulls on his shoes, grabs his keys, and leaves the house as quietly as possible, locking up behind him. 

And with that, Zuko gets in the car and starts driving.

* * *

Sokka finds himself driving around downtown. He’s shocked at first, at just how many people are out and about before he remembers that this is, first and foremost, a college town and most people don’t have class on Friday’s so they tend to start partying on Thursday nights. Still, after spending all day alone with only Katara for company and limited noise, suddenly being surrounded by so many people is unsettling. 

Sokka starts driving around, searching for some slightly emptier roads. He gets away from the nightlife area, instead driving through some of the more abandoned areas of downtown. Fancy restaurants and nine to five businesses mostly, so not necessarily college student hot spots. 

The emptier roads help settle his nerves, and he’s able to clear his mind again. Sokka finds himself near a familiar area, and he realizes that somehow he’s ended up near the same McDonald’s that he had his last breakdown. Laughing to himself, and fully able to see the pattern that’s forming, Sokka pulls into the parking lot. He’s not hungry, and he doesn’t have any cravings right now, but ice cream is never a bad thing.

Sokka pulls into the drive-thru and clears his throat to make sure he can actually speak before rolling down his window.

“Welcome to McDonald’s, how can I help you tonight?” the speaker crackles, and Sokka is fairly certain that voice sounds familiar.

“Hi there,” Sokka manages. He’s surprised his voice actually sounds pretty normal. “Is it possible for me to get an Oreo McFlurry?”

“Sure,” the girl says. “Anything else?”

“Um, actually can I have two, please? That’s it,”

“Two Oreo McFlurries?” she confirms.

“Yes, please.” 

“Alright, that’ll be 5.98 at the window.”

Sokka gives another thank you, pulling up and taking out his card. He gets to the window, and lo and behold, it _is_ the same girl as his last breakdown. She looks him over, recognition lighting up her face, though she definitely looks concerned as she takes his card.

“You alright? This is your second late-night breakdown run in a little over a month? Or are there more that we just don’t see?”

“No, this is the first big one since the last time,” Sokka confirms. 

“Do you want the McFlurries together in a big cup?”

“You can do that?” Sokka asks, a little bewildered. 

“Sure thing. David, will you put the McFlurries together in a large cup, please? And get some cookies. Don’t argue with me,” she says the last part to Sokka, handing him back his card.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sokka nods. 

“Smart boy,” she says, handing him a little box of cookies and then his ice cream. “I hope you feel better. Have a good night.”

“Thank you,” Sokka says one last time before he pulls away. Just like last time, he pulls into the parking lot and looks around. It’s empty, and there are no other cars.

Sokka parks, and ignores the little feeling of disappointment in his chest. 

He wouldn’t mind seeing Zuko again right now, but if Zuko’s not here, then that means he’s probably not having a breakdown, so Sokka will be happy about that.

* * *

Zuko almost regrets going for a drive when he sees all the people out. He’d forgotten that it’s a Thursday, and so all of the college kids who don’t have class tomorrow are getting a head start on partying. For a while, the crowds help clear his mind since Zuko has to focus on _not hitting any of the drunk kids in the middle of the road, oh my god._ It gets too stressful too fast though, so he starts searching for emptier roads. 

He doesn’t want to go on the highway tonight. He’s not freaking out as badly as last time, so he doesn’t need the focus that the highway requires. He does want to keep driving for a little longer though, so he heads towards the more sparse areas of downtown. The ones that are home to some of the nine to five businesses and stuffier shops, that consequently have fewer college kids surrounding them. 

He drives around there for a while, but is hesitant to circle some of the fancier buildings more than twice. He doesn’t want any night guards thinking he’s scoping around, so he starts heading in different directions.

Somehow, Zuko finds himself near the McDonald’s he was at last time he went on a late-night drive. Zuko figures it's as good a place as any to go, especially since he only really picked at his dinner and is a little bit hungry now that he’s not so stressed out.

Having convinced himself, Zuko pulls into the parking lot and straight into the drive-thru, rolling down his window.

“Are you back for some actual food instead of just ice cream? I knew we should’ve given you some nuggets or something,” comes out of the speaker and Zuko is shocked into silence for a moment. 

“Um, I haven’t come through tonight?” he says, though it sounds more like a question. 

“Oh, my gosh, I’m sorry,” the voice says. It sounds… familiar. 

“Um, can I have a McChicken and a medium fry, please? And a medium Sprite,” Zuko orders. 

“Will that be all?” the girl says, voice all professional now.

“Yes, please.”

“5.87 at the window, please.”

Zuko pulls up to the window, reaching over to grab his card. When he looks back, he recognizes the girl as the one who took his order the last time he was here. This time, Zuko actually looks at her name tag and sees that her name is Gabrielle. 

“Oh, it’s you,” Gabrielle says in surprise. 

“Hi,” Zuko says, a little embarrassed as he hands over his card. 

“How are you doing tonight?” she asks, surveying him through the little window.

“I’ve been better, but uh, not as bad as I was last time I was here,” Zuko admits. 

“That’s good. We’re still giving you cookies, though. Also a large Sprite.”

“I probably won’t drink all of it,” Zuko argues. 

“Doesn’t matter, all the drinks are the same price anyway, so you might as well take a large,” she says, handing him back his card. 

“Well, thanks, I guess,” Zuko acquiesces. 

“Sorry about how I acted before,” she says suddenly. “It’s just, another guy came through barely more than five minutes ago and all he got was ice cream. I thought he might’ve wanted some food, too.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Zuko assures. “Though I have to admit, I’m a little shocked other people are coming through this late.”

“Well, he didn’t look all too great. I think he needed the ice cream,” she admits, handing him his bag as it’s placed down next to her, and then his drink. Zuko doesn’t really know what to say to that, so he says nothing, just taking his stuff.

“Anyway, I hope you feel better and have a good night.”

“Thank you,” Zuko says, pulling away and rolling up his window. He exits the drive-thru, entering the main parking lot. Zuko looks around for a parking spot when he notices another car. A familiar-looking car.

On a whim, Zuko drives closer, parking a few spaces away and looking closer at the other car. 

Inside is Sokka. 

It seems Gabrielle was right, and even Zuko can see that he doesn’t look too good. Zuko thinks about leaving and not bothering him. He doesn’t want to intrude and he doesn’t want to be a bother. But Sokka looks _sad_ and Zuko doesn’t like it. Then, Zuko hears Sokka’s voice in the back of his head from last time, _I’ve heard that strangers give the best advice, and I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather tell a stranger about my breakdown than my family._

They’re practically strangers still, they’ve only talked in person once; connection to and messages passed between Piandao notwithstanding. 

_Fuck it,_ Zuko thinks. He gathers his stuff, getting out of his car and going over to Sokka’s passenger window. He thought he’d closed his door pretty loudly, but Sokka doesn’t look around. Zuko knocks gently on the window, cringing when Sokka jumps. 

Sokka catches sight of Zuko and rolls down his window, shock written all over his face. 

“Hey,” Zuko says, holding up his stuff, not unlike Sokka had done to him. “Want to sit on the curb and talk about our breakdowns?”

* * *

Sokka gets lost in his thoughts as he eats his ice cream and looks up at the moon. It’s big and bright and full tonight, lighting up the night sky.

The full moon has always reminded him of Yue.

Because of this, he doesn’t notice when a car parks next to him. He doesn’t notice when a car door shuts loudly next to him, and he doesn’t notice when someone walks up to his passenger window. 

He does notice the knock, and he jumps in surprise, looking around. 

It’s Zuko. 

_Holy shit,_ Sokka thinks. _Did I manifest him or something?_

Sokka rolls down his window and watches in shock as Zuko holds up his stuff with a shy sort of smile on his face and asks if Sokka wants to sit on the curb and talk about their breakdowns.

“Sure,” he finds himself saying. Zuko nods and goes to sit down. Sokka rolls up the window and gets out, going to sit next to Zuko. 

“So, who wants to go first?” Zuko asks as he digs through his bag. 

“I went first last time, it’s your turn,” Sokka says, a little hesitant to talk. 

“I guess that’s fair,” Zuko agrees and takes a deep breath. 

“I’m not sure I’d really call this a breakdown, not like the last one, at least,” Zuko starts. “When I left my dad’s, my sister stayed behind. She was um, _adamant_ about staying. She kind of, takes after my dad, so to speak. She was always the favorite, and she knew it, so she really played it up and sided with my dad all the time. I think it started off as her just wanting his approval and not wanting to be treated like me, but over time, she really started to uh, drink the kool-aid, I guess. Anyway, I never really expected to hear from her, not until the trial at least. But she’s been texting me lately.”

Sokka has to admit, he’s already invested. He can tell there’s more to the story, but he's not exactly planning on fully spilling his guts either, and he doesn’t want to push. But the more Zuko’s talking, the more agitated he’s getting, hand gestures and all. 

“She wants to meet up, says she wants to talk but she doesn’t want our dad to know that she’s talking to me. I don’t know why. I don’t know if she’s trying to get dirt on me for my dad and she’s trying to trick me, or if something’s wrong.”

“Would she really try and trick you like that?” Sokka can’t help but ask. 

“Yes. No,” Zuko sighs sharply. “I’m not sure.”

“I don’t want to believe she would, but I can’t help but be cautious. But I don’t want to ignore this either.”

“Did she say she wants to talk to you alone?” Sokka asks.

“Not quite. She said our Uncle could come.”

“Maybe plan to meet somewhere neutral, you know? Like, an outdoor restaurant somewhere out of town that would be considered safe enough. And for sure bring your Uncle. I’d think you should pick the place, so she has to come to you. Keep yourself in control, ya know?”

“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea,” Zuko says. “I’m just worried about my dad finding out. She said she doesn’t want him to know, and to save all of our texts.”

Zuko takes another deep breath before saying, “I’m afraid of him hurting my sister. At all, in any way. I don’t want him to yell at her, I don't want him to be angry at her, I don’t want him to hurt her feelings, and I don't want him to hurt her. And I'm afraid he might. I don’t want anything to happen to her. I’d rather get hurt a thousand times before anything happened to her.”

Sokka can definitely understand that. Katara could hurt him in a million ways, and Sokka would still throw himself across fire for her. 

“Hey, I get it,” Sokka says softly. “I feel the same about my sister. Obviously we’re not in the same situation, but I don’t think it would matter what my sister ever did to me. I’d always want to protect her, always rather I get hurt than her. And it sounds like you have a valid reason to be afraid for her. I don’t think you’re overreacting.”

“Thanks,” Zuko says just as softly. “Shit. Yeah, that’s what’s been bothering me. The trial is in, like, two months, and everything’s coming to a head, I guess.”

“I think you’ve got a valid reason to be stressed and bothered by all of this,” Sokka says. “If it means anything, from what I’ve seen, which isn’t that much, but I think you’re probably handling this pretty well.”

Zuko laughs, and it changes the shape of his face, making him look a little softer. “Yeah, well. I _could_ be worse, I guess.”

Zuko shakes his head as if clearing it, turning back to his food. “So, how about you? Do you want to share, or talk about literally anything else? Do you want to know what kind of drunk Piandao is? Because unfortunately, I now know that.”

“Why did you see Piandao drunk?” Sokka asks without thinking. “Wait, save that story, we’ll get my breakdown out of the way first.” 

Sokka looks into his ice cream for a few moments, mixing it around. 

“When I was fifteen,” Sokka starts. “I was dating this girl. I really liked her, loved her even. She passed when we were still fifteen. Today’s her anniversary. It always hits me a little hard.” Sokka can feel the tears burning behind his eyes, and only fights a little to keep them at bay. 

“Oh, god,” Zuko whispers. He places a hand on Sokka’s forearm, squeezing softly. He scoots a little closer to Sokka. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I know it’s hard and we hardly know each other even. But if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”

“I know she wouldn’t want me to be so sad. But it’s hard to feel anything other than sad today, and that makes me feel guilty,” Sokka admits. He lets one tear fall but tries to keep the rest back.

“I really don’t want to push, and feel free to tell me to fuck off, but. Why does that make you feel guilty? I think it’s normal to be upset on anniversaries.”

“I guess I feel like I’m not honoring her memory by feeling like this. She asked me, before she, um, went. To let her go. And I don’t think I’m doing that.” Sokka manages. “I’ve never told anyone that before.”

“Well, people do say it’s easier to tell your secrets to strangers,” Zuko says, squeezing Sokka’s arm again. “But, if I can say, of course, I don’t know anything about her, and I hardly know you, but I don’t think this is something you need to feel guilty over. If anything, I think you’re doing as much as you can.”

“What do you mean?” Sokka asks.

“Well, I know it’s not the same, but I lost my grandfather and mom really close to each other when I was eleven. And losing people that you love, especially that young, does stuff to your brain. Like physically,” Zuko says. “So, of course, when it comes to anniversaries and other important dates, I think it’s normal and more than okay to be sad and upset. Shows we still care.”

“But, she was so adamant that I let her go,” Sokka says, letting the tears fall now. “And I know she wouldn’t want me to be feeling like this. She’d want me to be happy.”

“Do you feel like this all the time?” Zuko asks. “Or just around her anniversary?”

“Around her anniversary,” Sokka says, confused. 

“So, you try to live your life as happily as you can, and only really let yourself feel like this during the important dates?”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but yeah, pretty much,” Sokka admits, wiping at his eyes a little.

“I’m trying to say that I don’t think feeling sad on the day you lost someone you love should be something you feel guilty about. It doesn’t sound to me like you’re holding onto her when she asked you to let go. It sounds like you’ve let her go, and are just remembering her in a way you know how.”

“Well, when you say it like that, it sounds all reasonable,” Sokka tries to joke. It doesn’t really land.

“I don’t mean to push or overstep,” Zuko starts, but Sokka interrupts. 

“You’re not,” Sokka assures. “You’re trying to put logic to this, which I kind of appreciate, actually.”

“If you’re sure,” Zuko trails off softly. 

“I’m sure,” Sokka says. “Now, tell me how and why you saw Piandao drunk.”

For the rest of the time they sit there, they talk about nonsense things, getting both of their minds off the heavy subjects. They talk about Piandao, about Pai Sho, about TV shows and movies. Sokka feels calm enough to share some good stories of him and Yue, and Zuko responds by sharing stories of him and his sister when they were still young and actually friends. Sokka feels light, talking about Yue in a way that isn’t focused on the bad times, and if feels right to share the good times. 

Sokka tries not to think too much about how easy it is to talk to Zuko, here under the light of the moon and street lamps, where everything feels different. 

They decide to part ways when Sokka starts yawning and he can’t seem to stop. Zuko grabs their trash, tossing it in a nearby garbage can. (“I can do that, ya know.” “Sokka, you have a single cup to throw away, calm down.”) Zuko offers Sokka a hand to help him up, and Sokka takes it, marveling at how warm Zuko’s hand is. 

At their cars, they lean against the sides, facing each other.

“I hope things work out with your sister,” Sokka says. 

“Thanks. I hope you feel a little better about today. Maybe a little calmer, at least,” Zuko offers. 

“I think I do.”

“Good.”

With that, they get in their cars, preparing to drive away. This time, Zuko is the one who rolls down his window and calls Sokka. 

“So, same time next breakdown?”

Sokka laughs, startled. “Deal.” Zuko gives him a small smile, waving as he drives away. 

* * *

Zuko drives away, full of mixed feelings, but he doesn’t think any of those feelings are bad. 

He drives back to Uncle’s, the streets nearly empty. His thoughts don’t wander, not really. He decides to talk to Uncle about meeting Azula in the morning, somewhere neutral, and open where they can all feel comfortable. 

He makes it to Uncle’s, letting himself in quietly. He toes off his shoes and looks around the house. It doesn’t seem like Uncle had woken up, so Zuko tosses the note. He goes into his room and collapses on the bed, suddenly exhausted. 

It felt good to talk about Azula and how they were before everything went to shit. To talk about the good times, and how they felt. It made Zuko feel more determined to rekindle a relationship with his sister, and he hopes, more than anything, that meeting up with her is just the start. 

He remembers thinking before he falls asleep that he helped Sokka feel a little better. 

* * *

Sokka drives home in a haze. He doesn’t feel sad or upset, and he doesn’t feel empty, either. 

He’d tentatively say he feels… content. 

He thinks Zuko’s words helped. He hadn’t really realized before tonight just how much guilt he was letting himself feel for just mourning, when that’s normal. He likes to think that Yue would agree with what Zuko was saying, that it’s normal to feel sad on the important days, that it shows he still remembers her, even if he has moved on.

He gets back home and lets himself in quietly. Again, his note is still on the fridge, so he tosses it and goes straight to his room. 

Before he gets into bed, he looks through his window at the moon one last time. He looks, and he thinks of Yue, and it doesn’t hurt. He feels at peace.

Sokka climbs into bed and falls asleep to that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catch me rewriting my outline after this chapter to make it less emotional, cause I made myself too sad writing Sokka's part. Also, can you tell I love Piandao and will use any excuse to write him? A truly underused character, honestly. And yes, The Lorax is my feel-good movie, and no I do not take criticism. 
> 
> Next chapter should hopefully be up in another few days.


	3. Fudge Sundaes and the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dreaded trial is in two weeks and Zuko is freaking out about it, Azula joins the fray, and Sokka stresses about finals and his future. The boys bond some more and phone numbers are exchanged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little more lighthearted than the previous chapter, mostly because I wanted to write something less sad. The boys are still majorly stressing, though, so don't worry, the trauma is there. Also, I've never written Azula before, so I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!
> 
> Also, a disclaimer about Sokka's part: I know, like, negative about engineering. I tried to research some stuff but I found it all to be really confusing, so the stuff about Sokka's schoolwork is pretty vague. I tried, guys, I really did. My google search history is fucked, I went on YouTube earlier and I'm getting ads for engineering and tech colleges. I have an English degree with an emphasis in classical literature, does it sound like I know anything about engineering or tech? pls send help
> 
> Anyway, not beta-read, so any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

It’s the beginning of May, and Zuko’s trial against his father is in two weeks. 

Zuko’s freaking out about it. 

The closer they get to the date, the more wild his life seems to become. The messages Zuko’s been getting from his father have started to get so nasty, saying things about his mother and uncle that Zuko would never have thought he would say, and things about Zuko himself that are starting to get so insane they don’t even hurt anymore. Zuko has stopped changing his phone number, he just deals with it and saves everything. His father’s behavior has become so erratic that his employees have started to become affected, and a few brave ones have leaked some of his behavior to the press. So, more people have been talking about his father, putting him under a lens, and he’s not liking that the situation isn’t as in his control as it was when this whole thing started. 

Not to mention, Azula was now on their side and willing to testify against their father, taking their case to a whole new level. 

_That_ had been an intense afternoon. 

(Zuko thinks it was how their father has been trying to distance Azula from Ty Lee, her only real friend left, that was Azula’s breaking point, but Zuko won’t say that out loud. Azula still doesn’t really want to talk about _feelings_ and that includes friendship, apparently.) 

After that initial text on the night that Zuko is dubbing ‘McDonald’s Breakdown: The Sequel’, they had texted on and off for a few days. She had called him once, but all she had said then was that she wanted to talk to Uncle. Zuko had handed over the phone, and Uncle had gone into his bedroom, not returning for at least thirty minutes. Zuko has a vague idea of what they talked about, considering Uncle had said that conversation was ‘long overdue’ and ‘not enough, but a start’. Uncle had given Zuko back the phone, and Azula had promised to text again when she could, and to think of a meeting place for them. 

Azula had sent a list of days in which she would be free to meet, and that was that. 

***

He takes Sokka’s advice about where and how to meet up with Azula, and they met on a Tuesday, in the afternoon, at an outdoor cafe two hours away from the city of Ba Sing Se. The weather was nice, still at the beginning of April. He and Uncle had gotten there early, and asked for a table for three. Azula had arrived not long after them, and Zuko had the feeling that she had been there before them, but had waited for them to make the first move. 

Zuko had almost cried at seeing his sister again. _Almost._

“You’re looking… tired, Zuzu. A little worse than I expected, honestly. Has Uncle’s snoring been keeping you awake?” Were the first words out of her mouth. His tears had dried pretty quickly after that. 

“Don’t call me that,” he responds, nearly automatically. “I sleep just fine.” 

“Unlikely. No comment on how I look? This is the first time you’ve seen me in years, have some manners.” 

“You look great. Very grown-up, for a twenty-one-year-old. Red is very much your color,” Zuko responds, a touch sarcastic. She did look good, though. Put together, yes, and very mature. And she looks healthy, looks like she’s getting enough food and sleep. He doesn’t think she’s wearing much makeup, and he can’t see any circles under her eyes. And with the red blouse she’s wearing, Zuko can’t see any marks on her bare arms. 

He knows grabbing is a favorite of his father’s. Zuko thinks that seeing her arms markless is a good sign. 

“Red _is_ my color, isn’t it? Let’s order, shall we? Apparently this cafe has the best cappuccinos for miles,” Azula says, flipping through the menu. 

“I think I will try the jasmine tea, myself,” Uncle says. 

Azula and Zuko both wrinkle their noses a bit. If there’s one thing they always agreed on, no matter what, it was that Jasmine tea was not good. 

“A cappuccino it is, then,” Zuko mumbles. 

(Zuko has suspicions that Uncle did that on purpose to have them agreeing early. Never let it be said that Uncle isn’t clever.) 

They order their drinks and a few small food items before they start the real talking. 

“So,” Azula starts once the waitress has walked away. “I wanted to talk about dad and the upcoming trial.”

“Yes, I figured,” Zuko says. 

“I’m thinking of testifying against him and asking if I can get in on your restraining order,” Azula says bluntly. 

_Holy shit_ , Zuko thinks. His jaw drops and he knows he looks like a gaping fish. Uncle is similarly shocked, but he recovers much faster than Zuko. 

“What made you think of doing this?” Uncle asks tentatively. 

Azula looks straight at them while she explains herself. She doesn’t waver, and she sounds confident the entire time. 

“At first, I started questioning things because of how he was behaving in the business. He was being erratic; making thoughtless decisions only based on spite and was just creating more problems for himself. He was angering the employees, and not in the way he usually does. Most of the time, employees are afraid of him, but he was being so… crazy with his demands that people were just up and quitting. That kind of behavior attracts attention and bad attention. So, I figured, if something came out of this lawsuit, his reputation would be ruined even more, and I didn’t want him to take me down with him.

Then, he started asking more of me. Trying to get me to do things that were typically his job, or things only he would do. I felt like he was trying to implicate me so that he had someone to blame everything on. He asked me to take more hours, to dedicate more of myself to the business, and finally to stop spending so much time with Ty Lee. Said she was a ‘bad influence’. As if Ty Lee has a single negative bone in her body.” 

Here, she stops to scoff and then stays quiet when she notices the waitress coming with their orders. Zuko got the feeling she was a lot more upset about whatever their father was saying about Ty Lee than she let on. Once the waitress was gone again, she continued. 

“So, I’m not going to lie. The bulk of my reasoning is selfish, I know. His behavior started to reflect negatively on me, as well. I’m willing to do a lot, but having a bad reputation is something I _will not_ tolerate.” 

“So that’s it?” Zuko asks. “You want to save your reputation? You know, this whole trial is just to keep him away from me, it has nothing to do with the business. You jump in and get a restraining order too? That doesn’t mean _father_ leaves the business, it means _you do._ ” 

“I wasn’t finished, Zuzu. Always so quick to jump to conclusions,” Azula tuts. 

“Don’t call me that,” Zuko repeats at the same time Uncle says. “Please finish, Azula.” 

Azula throws a smug smile his way and Zuko feels his eye twitch. 

“As I was saying, I do have another reason. A more serious one,” Azula pauses and takes a sip of her drink. 

Say what you want about their family, but Zuko knows they _all_ have a flair for the dramatic. It’s practically in their blood. 

“He’s been very secretive with me, recently. Even before I first messaged you. He won’t let me attend certain meetings, he keeps certain files password-protected, he’s even gotten a second phone. He says it’s for a secret project he’s working on, one that he ‘can’t trust me with yet’. That of itself is suspicious enough. I practically run that business single-handedly now with how he’s been behaving. 

I have a feeling it has something to do with the trial. Something he’s planned to meddle with or do.” 

And then, Azula finally looks away from them and takes a breath. She looks at Zuko and her eyes are different. Softer, maybe? They’re full of some emotion that Zuko doesn't know the name for, but it makes his stomach twist. 

“Think what you want about me,” Azula says quietly. “I know I deserve for you to think badly of me, and to not trust me. I know how he treated you. I know it wasn’t good. I know I made it worse. But, I don’t actually want anything bad to happen to you, Zuko.” 

There’s something in her eyes when she says it, something in her voice. She sounds determined and serious, and she doesn’t sound at all like the sickly sweet version of herself that she puts on when she lies to him. 

Zuko believes her. 

It seems Uncle does, too, because he asks “What do you think Ozai is planning, my dear?” 

Not _your father_ . Not _my brother._ Just Ozai. And not just _Azula_ either, but _my dear._

Azula wrinkles her nose at the nickname, but she doesn’t protest it. She knows as well as Zuko does that this means Uncle believes her and is now on her side, and she seems almost relieved about it. Her shoulders fall from where they’d been tensed and coiled, and she takes another drink. It’s only then that Zuko himself remembers he has a drink of his own. 

(The cappuccino is really good. Zuko’s kind of mad that he let it get lukewarm without drinking it.) 

“I can’t be too sure. I don’t think he’s planning to do anything physical,” Azula assures. “This judge you’ve found seems very clever, and would probably guess that if anything happened to you or Zuko that it would’ve been our fathers doing. Right now my best guess is that he’s trying to find a way to get rid of Zuko’s medical records. Especially the ones about his burn.” 

“Why would he want to get rid of those?” Zuko questions. 

“Because they make him look guilty,” Uncle says. “Your hospital report makes it clear that you had the burn for multiple days before seeing a doctor, and that it hadn’t been taken care of properly before that. You had a terrible fever and were on the brink of infection when I took you. It was clear that your father had no intention of taking you himself or even making sure you had proper care at home. He looks negligent.”

“I also had to talk a doctor down from calling Child Protective Services,” Uncle admits. Zuko has never heard this before, and neither, it seems, has Azula if her expression is anything to go by. “They said your burns looked too precise from the way you described what happened. They were certain someone _did_ that to you, and then kept you from a doctor. Plus, that wasn’t the first time you’d come in with an injury and flimsy explanation about it. I’m sure there’s a note somewhere in the records that they suspected an abuse case.”

Zuko is quiet, letting the information sink in. He knows one thing for sure, though. He has to get a copy of those records before his father somehow gets rid of them. 

Uncle has the same thought as him. “We’ll have to get in contact with the hospital I took you to. They might only speak to you, Zuko. I’m not quite sure. But we’ll need a copy of your medical records, and soon,” Uncle says. 

And then, he looks straight at Azula, who sits up straighter under his eye. 

“That is a very smart and intuitive conclusion you’ve come to, Azula. I’m sure you’re right about this, and if you’re wrong, I’ll give up tea _and_ Pai Sho. Thank you.” 

And Azula. 

Azula blushes. 

This may be the best day of Zuko’s life, trauma surrounding his father notwithstanding. 

Azula doesn’t respond to the praise, probably doesn’t know how to. And she definitely doesn’t know how to respond to the _earnestness_ on Uncle’s face. So, she says nothing, drinking her coffee and picking at her muffin. 

It’ll take her a while to get used to it, Zuko thinks. 

Azula clears her throat, another determined look coming over her face. “I’m thinking this could become a lot more serious than you were originally intending. This could be our only chance to take him down, and get him out of our lives completely.”

“What do you mean?” Zuko asks. Azula has a light in her eyes now, and Zuko knows she’s planning something. 

“I mean, it’s very likely that this trial could result in criminal charges for father. You’re trying to prove that he has ill enough intentions towards you that you need a restraining order when really, he’s already done enough damage to you to prove abuse. Father is going to try and disprove all of that, which means you’ll have to prove _it did_ happen. The reason father is so nervous about this upcoming trial is that this judge that you’ve found is known for putting child abusers in prison.”

And then, things click for Zuko.

“You knew it would grow bigger than just a restraining order, didn’t you?” he asks Uncle.

Uncle sighs, “I had a feeling it might, and so I tried to find a judge that would be the most likely to believe you, and a lawyer that would fight for you if it came to that. It seems that Ozai is preparing for the worst and that we should, too.”

“I don’t know how I can prove all that, though,” Zuko argues. He’s starting to feel overwhelmed and a little panicky. “It will be his word against mine. There’s no _proof._ ”

“Not to be insensitive, brother, but I think your face _is_ proof,” Azula cuts in. “Not to mention, I was witness to most, if not all, of what he did to you. That would be a much harder case for him to dispute, especially with all the evidence and threats I’m sure you have saved up from these past few years.”

“And you would be willing to testify against Ozai? We mustn't forget, Azula, he may have never hurt you physically, but he manipulated you as well,” Uncle says. 

Azula’s face tightens, and her hands clench. “I think I would be willing to testify, yes. I don’t know how much of myself I’m willing to share, quite yet, but if Zuko agrees to this, I think we can do better than just a restraining order.”

“And how does this benefit you?” Zuko asks. He needs to stop spiraling before he has a panic attack in the middle of this cafe. 

“If this goes according to plan, father gets sent to prison, you never have to worry about him again, and I get control of the business,” Azula says easily. Confidently. 

“So, you wanting in on this is mainly to get you the business?” Zuko accuses. 

“Stop that, Zuzu--”

“Don’t call me that.”

“-- I’m doing this for _you_ , as well. Yes, this benefits me. But, I’ve seen the things he’s been sending you, and as I said, I don’t actually want anything bad to happen to you. Seeing you in pain does not bring me any joy, you know.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Zuko mumbles. Uncle tuts at him, but Azula doesn’t look hurt or angry. 

“I deserved that one,” Azula admits. “But I mean it. You know, I haven’t spoken to you in so long not because I didn’t want to, but because _father_ didn’t want me to. Do you have any idea how much easier it will be for us to communicate if father is out of the picture?”

“God, we all need therapy,” Zuko says, burying his face in his hands.

That gets a “Hm, maybe” from Azula, and an “Oh, definitely” from Uncle. 

“Okay,” Zuko says finally. “Say we do this. Are you sure it will work?”

“The evidence we’ve been collecting is very damning for Ozai,” Uncle muses. “And heavily implies that he is ready and willing to hurt you. If we manage to get our hands on your medical records, I don’t see how we could fail.”

“And with me on your side, there’s no way this will fail,” Azula adds confidently. 

“Alright, fuck it, I guess,” Zuko decides, a little manically. “Go big or go home. Let’s try to get dad sent to prison, I guess.”

After that, they don’t talk about the trial or anything really related to their father. Azula talks about some business moves that she wants to make, her plans to make the business better, and Zuko has to admit they sound brilliant. Different from how their father runs things, but… better, maybe. Azula mentions that if their father actually does get ‘sent away’ she’ll move up in the business and it would leave an empty space from her position. She mentions Zuko could fill it, and Zuko _laughs_. Says he’ll think about it, when he really has like, negative intentions of thinking about it. Uncle talks about the tea shop, and Zuko doesn’t really say much he’s content to just listen. They order another round of drinks, and Zuko is able to enjoy the cappuccino while it’s hot instead of warm.

They decide to leave soon after when Azula says she had better start heading back so their father doesn’t get suspicious. Uncle leaves them alone for a few minutes while he goes to the restroom and they sit in silence for a moment. 

“I was worried he was going to hurt you,” Zuko ends up blurting out. 

“Why would you be worried about that?” Azula asks in surprise. “He’s never hurt me before and he doesn’t have the guts to. He’s only yelled a few times.”

“Azula, look at my face. Of course I was worried about him hurting you.”

Azula’s face softens as she looks at him. “Fine, I can understand that. But why would you care?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Why would you care if he hurt me?”

“Why would I—? Because you’re my fucking little sister, Azula. That’s why,” Zuko says, now the one in shock. 

“Why would you care what happens to me when I’ve spent most of my life trying to hurt you?” Azula asks, just as bewildered as Zuko feels.

Zuko has never hated his father more than at that moment. 

“Because,” Zuko repeats again. Vehemently. “You’re my little sister. I love you. Always have, always will. Don’t argue with me.” 

“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Azula admits. 

“Hey, maybe when this is all over we can go to therapy together. It’ll be fun. Sibling bonding, or whatever,” Zuko suggests. It’s only a little bit of a joke. 

Uncle comes back soon after. They pay the bill and part ways. Zuko spends the ride home in a bit of a daze. He can’t believe that meeting with Azula went that… smoothly. He’s definitely freaking out a little bit at the new goal of this court trial. He’s not sure how it’ll work, how they’ll get everything together in time, or if it will be any success at all or if they’ll just get dismissed again now that they're trying for more. It’s a scary thought; thinking that he’ll have to go in there and recount his father’s abuse, but he was going to have to do that to some extent anyway, this will just be _more._

He’s nervous, and scared, and a little panicky still, but Uncle is relaxed and confident by his side, and Azula had seemed very determined.

He hopes this works.

***

Having Azula’s brand of cutthroat intelligence on their side has been game-changing for them. 

Azula is somehow managing to play their father like a fiddle, antagonizing him into acting more outrageously while also encouraging the employees who are quitting or being fired to leak things to the press so their father is under more scrutiny. Zuko is positive she leaks a few things herself, but he can’t prove it, and he’s sure their father can’t either. Azula’s new encouragement and better treatment towards the employees have also given her a leg up on their father.

They like her more. And it shows. 

( _I think I like this new way of leading._ Azula texts him once. _It seems people are more willing to listen to you and try harder if you treat them with kindness rather than anger._

_The saying ‘you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar’ exists for a reason._ Zuko replies. _If your employees like you, they’ll be more willing to work for you because they’ll want to make you proud, rather than doing the bare minimum just to avoid punishment._

_I like it. Positive reinforcement is giving me wonderful results. You’re good at that kind of stuff. Treating people nicely and all. Think about my offer again._

_Maybe._ ) 

It’s giving Zuko some more confidence with the trial, now that Azula is on his side as well as Uncle. It’s only one more person, but that person is _his sister,_ and it feels good to be talking and to be on the same side as her. 

He has a feeling his father won’t know what hit him. 

His nerves still get the better of him sometimes, though. 

It’s the beginning of May, the trial is in two weeks, and they’ve just left another meeting with Zuko’s (and now Azula’s) lawyer. This meeting had been a tough one. It was one of the last meetings before the trial so it required them to go over all of the evidence and their goals one last time. Zuko managed to get complete copies of his medical records, ones from the burn and all. There was indeed a note in there about a suspected child abuse case, and it made Zuko’s stomach twist to see. 

Azula accompanied them to this meeting, bringing along her own host of evidence against their father. This included, but was not limited to; security footage she had somehow found from their old home that showed both Zuko and Azula being yelled at, files from his computer that showed how Ozai had been following Zuko around and a record of all Zuko’s and Uncle’s different numbers, and an itemized list of all the instances she could remember witnessing of their father punishing Zuko as a child. 

The list was long. 

(There was even stuff on there that _Zuko_ didn’t remember, let alone would think was important enough. He has no idea how Azula managed all that.) 

Let it be known that Azula was _terrifying_ when she put her mind to something. 

The things that Azula brings in for them, while a little overwhelming, really help them to build a solid case. The lawyer feels confident, Azula feels confident, and Uncle feels confident. 

Zuko is ridiculously nervous. 

It’s not like he can put a name to what exactly he’s nervous about, either, he just _is._ Everything about this situation is hitting him hard and making him feel anxious about anything and everything. 

He’s worried about the happenings of the trial. He’s worried about getting up and explaining his trauma to a court full of people. He’s worried about seeing his father standing there, tall and proud, and completely succumbing to his nerves. He’s worried about his father figuring Azula out. He’s worried about the results of the trial. He’s worried about what this means for all of their futures. 

It doesn’t matter that everyone else is confident in their win. It doesn’t matter that Azula has already said she would spend the few days before the trial holed up in Zuko’s apartment with him, which she confirmed their father didn’t know he had and thus was the safest place for them. It didn’t matter that he had all the confidence in the world in Uncle and Azula. What matters is that he has no confidence in himself when it comes to this. 

So, to say Zuko was freaking out was an understatement. 

He’s back in his apartment after having had dinner with Uncle after the meeting ended. He’s in his apartment alone, curled up on his bed, and watching cooking videos on YouTube. Not the most interesting of nights, but it’s all he can bring himself to do right now. He can't seem to let himself get sucked into any of the books he has and watching movies just gives his mind a chance to wander too much. Watching the cooking videos distracts his mind enough, but his mind still wanders to the upcoming days. 

He finds some interesting videos, but eventually, he can’t get his mind to just calm down and relax. It’s only nearing eleven o’clock, but Zuko knows he won’t be able to sleep if he tries.

Maybe Azula had a point when she told him he doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping. 

He closes his laptop and roams around his apartment for a while. He thinks about trying to meditate, but he feels a little too jittery for that. He’s sure if he sits down and tries to meditate his mind will only keep wandering to not such fun places. 

A drive it is, then.

He’s in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, so he doesn’t bother to change. He grabs his phone and wallet, slips on his shoes, grabs his keys, and heads out. 

* * *

In the days following Yue’s anniversary, Sokka thinks a lot about how he feels and comes to a few realizations. 

First, he thinks he’s been too hard on himself. He knows himself, and he knows that he’s so hard on himself because he still feels guilty when realistically, he has nothing to feel guilty about. He tried his best to make the most of the little time he’d had with Yue and did what he could to be by her side. There was nothing else he really could have done, and he has to make peace with that. It won’t be that easy, he knows, but it’s a start. 

Second, Sokka is starting to realize that there’s no shame in mourning and letting himself be upset on important days like anniversaries. He’d been so mean to himself about it for so long as a way of punishing himself when he had no reason to do so. It’s normal to let yourself remember, and it’s normal to not completely feel yourself on those kinds of days. 

It won’t be an instant change, he knows. And it won’t be easy to change the mindset he’s had for the last few years. But, it’ll be a start. 

He gets back into the swing of things. He goes back to all his classes, makes up work from the days he missed, and borrows notes from classmates. He feels normal; not as sad as he was, and he takes that as further proof that he really is doing okay. He’s not forcing himself to feel any specific way, just letting his emotions flow, and it seems to be working for him. 

Hopefully, that means no more breakdowns for a while. 

Of course, things are never that simple. 

***

It’s the beginning of May and finals are in a few weeks. This means, that in a few short weeks, Sokka will be graduating with his bachelor's degree in engineering. 

Which means, in a few short weeks, Sokka’s going to have to decide what he’s doing with the rest of his life. 

No big deal, really. 

(It’s a huge deal. He’s freaking the fuck out about it.) 

For once, Sokka’s not worried about _school_ at all. He’s currently passing all of his classes exceptionally well. He’s very confident in all his final projects. He’s gotten Katara to agree to proofread his final essays when they’re due, so he hopefully won’t have to worry about things like grammar docking him points. He’s talked to all his professors about his final projects, and they all seem to like them. Sokka knows he’s smart, and he knows he’s creative, and he knows he’s damn good at what he does. So for once, Sokka isn’t questioning himself when it comes to school. 

Short of another ‘Grading Incident’ happening, Sokka should pass all of his classes with flying colors. 

So rather than breaking down about school, Sokka is breaking down about his future. It’s not even that he has no idea what he wants to do, or even that he has no opportunities lined up. It’s that he _does_ know what he wants to do and that he has a great opportunity lined up right in front of him that’s stressing him out. 

Sokka has a friend, Teo, who’s father is an engineer and has his own business. Teo and Sokka have been friends for a few years, and Sokka is on pretty good terms with Teo’s father. Not only that, but the man has given Sokka plenty of advice before and Sokka has even helped the man out with some projects once or twice. Because of that, Teo’s father has offered to give Sokka a position in his business once Sokka graduates. 

It’s an amazing opportunity that Sokka has been handed, and it’s like everything he’s ever dreamed of. People would kill for the chance that has just fallen into Sokka’s lap. He’d be a complete fool to pass it up. 

It’s because of that, that Sokka feels so guilty for being conflicted about taking it. 

There’s some part of Sokka that will always be insecure about not being good enough. That he’s not smart enough, not prepared enough, not worthy of the opportunities he’s being given.

Above all else, Sokka always wants to keep bettering himself. He always wants to keep learning and going farther in his subject. He wants to learn as much as he possibly can, for as long as he possibly can. He feels like there’s always new things to be learning, new things to explore, and new things that he can improve on. Sokka thrives on learning new things and improving himself. He knows there’s always more that he can learn, more knowledge that he can soak in, more that he can _do._

Sokka desperately wants to keep furthering his education and apply for the engineering masters program at the university. He wants to keep going, wants to keep bettering himself, wants to learn more, wants to make himself _worthy_ of the people who believe in him. 

He ends up talking to Professor Piandao about it once. 

***

He’s in Professor Piandao’s workshop, and they’d just gone over the schematics for Sokka’s final project. Piandao had approved of the schematics, said they were creative and clever, and something he hadn’t seen before. Sokka’s confident that he’ll be able to actually build it and make it work perfectly. He’s been conned into helping Piadao wipe down tables from his freshman class who haven’t quite learned how to clean properly when Piandao starts chatting with him. 

“So, how are you feeling about finals coming up?” Piandao asks. “Must be exciting and nerve-wracking, knowing you’ll graduate soon.”

“It is a little scary,” Sokka admits. “But, I think as long you promise to double-check the final grades, everything will be fine. Maybe drop Zuko a hint, see if he’d be willing to do us all a favor.”

“Very funny,” Piandao deadpans, tossing a dirty rag at Sokka, who laughs. “I’ve thought about asking Zuko for help grading, but he seems a bit… _overwhelmed,_ we’ll say. I don’t want to add to that stress.”

Sokka winces, and nods. He can only imagine how stressed out Zuko must be. He’s got his father to worry about, and now his sister, and Sokka doesn’t even have the full picture but he knows it must be a lot. He hasn’t seen Zuko in a few weeks, so he has no idea how everything’s been going with him. 

Sokka really needs to ask for his number. Or at least offer Zuko his own, since Zuko apparently has to keep changing his own. 

(Sokka’s just curious and invested is all, it has nothing to do with how Zuko’s eyes had seemed to shine in the light of the full moon. It has nothing to do with Zuko’s cute smile and laugh. Nothing at all. 

Alright, maybe a little bit.)

“Well,” Sokka ends up saying. “I would offer to do it, but you know, legally I guess I wouldn’t be allowed to. Can’t share student’s personal information and grades with other students.”

“The law always gets in the way of _something_ ,” Piandao mumbles, shaking his head. “No matter, I’ll be more careful entering the grades and I’m sure I’ll end up checking them more than twice to make sure they’re right.”

“Whatever you say, professor,” Sokka teases, moving on to a different table. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you as well,” Piandao says suddenly. “Have you thought about entering the master’s program? I think you’d really thrive in an environment like that.”

Sokka is floored for a moment. “I’ve thought about it,” Sokka says hesitantly. “I’m not sure I’m going to apply, though. I want to, but I’m conflicted about some things.”

“Oh? Anything you want to talk through?”

“It’s just that I kind of have a job offer? I know a man who has his own engineering company, and he’s kind of offered me a job for after I graduate? So, I’m nervous about passing that up for the master’s program.”

“That’s wonderful, Sokka. I’m not surprised in the slightest, I meant it when I said you were one of my most talented students, after all. What company is it? Anyone I would know, perhaps?” 

Sokka feels like he’s getting whiplash from this conversation. “Um, Northern Air,” Sokka stutters out. 

“Northern Air?” Piandao asks, his voice going up in pitch. “That’s incredible, Sokka, a brilliant company. Not that I’m surprised, but how did that come about?”

“Um, I’ve been friends with his son for a few years, so he’s kind of, seen my progress, I guess? I think I just got lucky, honestly.”

“Sokka, I can assure you you did not get offered a position because of luck,” Piandao says. “But, I think I understand your indecision a bit more. That is an incredible job opportunity, made more important because there’s a sentimental element there with your friendship. It’s a difficult position to be in.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sokka sighs. “I’d really like to go into the master’s program, but I don’t want to risk losing this opportunity.”

“Well, if you’d like, I’d be happy to help you put together your portfolio and application. No one says you have to turn it in, but it couldn’t hurt to have ready, just in case.”

***

And that had been it for a while. Piandao is one of the master professors for the program, so he’s been able to help Sokka get together a portfolio and meet all of the requirements for if he decides to apply to the program. Professor Piandao thinks that Sokka will thrive in the program, and has been encouraging him to submit the application, but Sokka has been hesitating. Piandao knows his situation and is sympathetic enough, but even Piadao can’t halt the deadline to apply for him. 

The deadline that is in two weeks, that is. 

Sokka hasn’t mentioned the program to his father, yet. He’s not sure how his dad will react; if he’ll be supportive or worried or disappointed that Sokka is taking a wonderful job opportunity for granted. He mentioned it to Katara once, and she said he should go for it, that she thinks Teo’s dad would be understanding. He’d asked Aang about it, too, and Aang thinks that the program would be a good chance for Sokka to expand his skills and get more experience with things he isn’t comfortable with yet. 

He’s so fucking scared to talk to Teo’s dad about it. 

He doesn’t know if the man will be angry with him for stringing him along, for taking away a job opportunity from someone who wants it more. He doesn’t know If he’ll suddenly decide that Sokka’s not worth it and take the opportunity away because Sokka’s not 100% certain. He doesn’t know if he should risk it or not. 

He’s sure he’ll end up learning more anyway, just by virtue of getting more hands-on experience in a working environment. But he’d like to know as much as he possibly can before going into a job. He wants both of these opportunities so much it hurts, and he knows he can only have one. 

Right now, Sokka is just finishing schematics for another class. This project isn’t as complicated, more about the process of coming up with an idea and how to execute it, rather than the actual execution itself, so this one hasn’t been as difficult. Still, it’s getting late, near midnight now that he’s finally finished. 

The whole time, his mind had kept wandering, so he knows he’ll have to go over these plans some more before he’s fully satisfied with them. He doesn’t want even one mistake, and the way he kept getting distracted meant that mistakes were imminent. 

Sokka gets up from his tiny desk and stretches, his back popping from being hunched over for so long. It might be nearing midnight, but Sokka’s brain is completely wired, and he’s feeling way too jittery to sit down and do more work or even _attempt_ to go to sleep. His mind isn’t slowing down and thoughts just keep running through his head. 

Seems like tonight is another drive for his sanity. 

Sokka grabs his things, leaves a note for Katara, slips on his shoes, and heads out the door. He starts driving, mostly aimlessly with no destination in mind. It’s still a weekday, so there’s not many people out, and the roads are mostly clear when driving around town. He’s tempted to jump on the highway, where he can drive a little bit faster in the hopes that it gets rid of some of his jitters. He stays in town, though, hoping that the speed limits and red lights force him to slow down. 

It takes a while, and definitely some frustrated sighs at a few red lights, but eventually, he feels himself calming. He finds himself succumbing to the flow of the city, letting himself go wherever. He thinks about turning the radio on but is worried that listening to any music right now might bring the jitters right back. 

Maybe he should download one of those apps that tell you stories in those really calm voices like Katara keeps telling him to try. 

* * *

Zuko lets himself drive on the highway for about an hour, clearing his mind of his nerves and just focusing on the road. The straight stretch of the road helps clear his head, despite the cars that are on the road with him. He’s able to go a little bit faster on the highway, and it lets him get some of his pent up adrenaline out. He doesn’t dare go too fast, not wanting to be too crazy, especially with the other cars still on the road with him, but nevertheless, it helps.

He lets himself head back into town around midnight, just roaming around for the most part. There are not many people out in town at this hour. It’s a school night so there are few college kids out, and anyone else who’s driving around is probably either on their way home or on their way to work. 

Zuko drives around town for maybe thirty minutes before he ends up somewhere in the downtown area. He doesn’t really have a destination in mind, just knows he doesn’t want to go back to his apartment yet. He stops at a red light and fiddles with the radio a little bit. He’s looking around as he’s waiting for the light to turn green when he notices a car pull up next to him. 

Zuko doesn’t pay it any mind at first and continues to fiddle with the radio when someone calls his name. 

* * *

Sokka’s somewhere in the downtown area, stopped at a red light, looking at his surroundings when he notices that the car next to him looks a little familiar. 

He’s pretty sure that’s Zuko’s car. 

Sure enough, Sokka looks through his window to try and get a better look into the car next to him, and he sees Zuko at the driver’s side. Sokka feels a rush of excitement flow through him, totally ruining the calm that he’d managed to create. Sokka rolls down his window, completely prepared to make a fool of himself, and calls out of his window. 

“Hey, Zuko!” Sokka yells out and hopes Zuko can hear him. 

Zuko does indeed hear him. Zuko quickly turns his head, looking over to Sokka from his passenger side. Zuko looks a little shocked, but he rolls down his window after only a moment's hesitation.

“Hey, are we ‘same time next breakdown’ing right now?” Sokka asks, not able to keep the huge smile off his face. 

Zuko groans, probably embarrassed at his own words being thrown back at him. But he responds, “Yeah, I guess we are.”

“Meet you in the McDonald’s parking lot in a few minutes then? I could go for a fudge sundae right about now,” Sokka says hopefully. 

“Sounds like a date,” Zuko responds. Sokka feels his jaw drop, and distantly he sees Zuko put his head on his steering wheel. But then, Sokka’s light turns green, and he sits for a second longer when it looks like Zuko’s about to speak again. Sokka doesn’t want to hear him take it back, so he quickly interrupts. 

“I’ll see you in like, five minutes,” Sokka says, and then quickly drives away. 

_Sounds like a date_ keeps repeating over and over in his head as he blindly makes his way to his new destination. _Sounds like a date, there’s no way he actually meant it as anything other than a saying. People say it all the time. No need to freak about. But then why did he freak out if it didn’t mean anything. Oh, my god, this is what Katara means when she says I’m a disaster bisexual._

Sokka makes it to the McDonald’s a few minutes later than he said he would, and Zuko is already in the parking lot. He’s not parked, and he’s not in the drive-thru, but idling somewhere in the middle. Sokka sees Zuko look up when he hears Sokka’s car and holds up his phone and gestures for Sokka to go first. Sokka figures he’s probably texting someone, or maybe just stalling, so he goes into the drive-thru first. 

“Welcome to McDonald’s, how can I help you tonight?” a familiar voice comes through the speaker. 

“Hi there, you wouldn’t happen to be our breakdown expert worker, would you?” Sokka asks, because honestly, why the hell not. 

“Oh, my gosh, one of you guys is back. We were starting to wonder if either of you would ever come back,” Sokka is pretty sure her name is Gabrielle, says. 

“Oh, don’t worry, the other guy is behind me, too. Anyway, please tell me the ice cream machine is working enough for like, two fudge sundaes?”

“I think we can work something out for you,” Gabrielle says. “Will that be all?”

“Um, maybe a large fry, too? And a water, please,” Sokka asks. 

“8.47 at the window, please.” 

Sokka pulls up to the window, taking out his card and handing it to Gabrielle. 

“Hey, you don’t look nearly as bad as the other times you’ve been here,” she says happily. “I hope that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, tonight’s not so much of a breakdown as much as it is just stress about finals and life and everything. No tears tonight, hopefully,” Sokka assures. 

“Let’s keep it tearless,” Gabrielle says, handing him back his card. “And as always, we’ll throw in a few cookies, too.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” Sokka argues. “I’m hyper enough as it is, and this ice cream is gonna mess me up even more. The cookies are not necessary.”

“You’re getting cookies.”

“Ya know, I’m not gonna argue with you actually,” Sokka decides after seeing the look on her face. 

“Good,” she says, handing over his two sundae’s which are, like the McFlurries were, in a larger single larger cup. Bless these workers, honestly. 

She hands over the rest of his order, cookies included, with a cheery, “Have a good night!” 

“You, too. Thank you,” Sokka responds and he drives away. He heads back into the main parking lot and sees that Zuko is now in the drive-thru. Sokka parks, but he doesn’t bother to wait for Zuko before he gets out and takes a seat on the curb. 

_Well,_ Sokka thinks, taking a bite. _This meeting will be interesting._

* * *

_Sounds like a date,_ Zuko repeats over and over to himself in shock as he waits for his light to turn green. _Sounds like a date. Sounds like a date. Oh, my god, why the fuck do I ever speak? I talk to the same cute boy twice and suddenly I can’t control my mouth? Oh, my god. Maybe I can just text dad right now and have him take me out. It’d be less painful than the embarrassment I feel right now._

Zuko’s light turns green and Zuko starts driving towards McDonald's. As much as he wants to run away and hide right now, Sokka is expecting him, and damn it, Zuko has never been able to say no to a cute boy, especially one with as pretty of eyes and a smile as nice as Sokka’s, no matter how much of a crisis he’s going through. 

The path he ends up taking is a little more direct, and when Zuko pulls into the parking lot, Sokka isn’t there yet. Zuko still kind of feels like dying inside, and coupled with everything else that was already stressing him out tonight, it’s kind of a lot. Zuko idles in the parking lot for a moment, trying not to become completely overwhelmed, before deciding on a whim, that he needs to rant a little bit to _someone_ about what a fool he feels like for his _sounds like a date_ comment. 

So, Zuko pulls out his phone, opens his texts, and sends a message to Azula. 

_If I die tonight, it’s because I self-combusted after embarrassing myself in front of a cute boy._

It’s not until after he sends the message that he realizes that he kind of just came out to his sister. On the list of things he’s done today that have stressed him out or that he regrets, this somehow finds itself low on the list. 

Zuko gets a reply almost immediately.

_Zuzu, you absolutely useless gay, what did you do now?_

And then, _Also, you can’t die anytime soon. I’m too busy to avenge you right now, you’ll have to wait a few months at least._

Zuko sends back a string of question marks because _fucking what?_

_The trial and the business are taking up quite a bit of my time, Zuzu, I don’t have time to plan and prepare to get away with murder by avenging your death. So keep yourself alive for now. Also, what did you do that was apparently so embarrassing?_

Zuko is still floored by the nonchalant responses he’s gotten from her and takes a moment to look away from his phone, and around the parking lot instead. That doesn’t really work out for him though, since he looks up from his phone and right at Sokka, who’s somehow managing to look at him questioningly through both of their cars. 

Zuko holds up his phone and nods his head towards the drive-thru, indicating that Sokka should go ahead first, which he does. 

Zuko sends back to Azula: _So, there’s this cute boy that I’ve run into a few times, and we’ve hung out a bit. I ran into him again tonight, and he asked if I wanted to meet him somewhere so we could eat and talk. And I fucking said ‘sounds like a date’. Kill me._

_Only you, Zuko. It’s not that big of a deal, no need for such dramatics. Now, what are you doing wandering out in the middle of the night two weeks before the trial?_

_I went for a drive because I’m stressed out and driving helps clear my mind. I couldn’t sleep. Why are you awake?_

_Anything you want to share? And I happened to be asleep but heard my phone go off. I responded because your message was quite concerning._

_No, I don’t need to talk anything through, I’ll be fine. Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep._

_Don’t tell me what to do. Maybe I’ll tell Uncle that you’ve been talking to and sneaking off in the middle of the night to see a cute boy._

_Don’t you dare, Azula. He’d be insufferable._

_We’ll see. Text me when you get back to the apartment. Enjoy your date._

_Not a date._

Azula doesn’t respond anymore, though, and Zuko lets his head fall onto the steering wheel again. He still feels a little embarrassed and maybe a little guilty now for unloading on his sister. But, a small part of him also feels a little better about how easily the conversation is flowing between him and Azula, and how she hadn’t hesitated even a little to tease him rather than be disgusted like he might have thought she would. He loves that he’s able to talk to her like things are mostly normal, even if there is still a little bit of tension there. 

One thing is for sure, though. Talking to Azula definitely brought back his original reason for being stressed. The trial against his father is still in two weeks and everything in his life is about to change for better or for worse. Zuko can only hope it’s for the better. 

Maybe texting Azula wasn’t his best idea. 

Zuko tosses his phone onto his passenger seat and pulls into the McDonald’s drive-thru, definitely in need of some ice cream now. 

“Welcome to McDonald’s, how can I help you?” And well, Zuko knows that voice. 

“Hi, can I have one fudge sundae, please?” Zuko asks. 

“You sure can, anything else?” 

“Um, a medium fry? And a medium coke, please?” 

“Alright, that’ll be 5.88 at the window.”

Zuko pulls up, taking his card out and preparing to hand it over. 

“Oh, you’re looking very stressed out,” Gabrielle says as she takes his offered card. 

“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” Zuko says. 

“Well, hopefully, we can make that a little better,” she says, handing Zuko back his card. “We’ll get some extra treats ready for you. Some cookies, and maybe a large fry instead of medium.”

“Do you guys get in trouble for doing stuff like that?” Zuko asks, suddenly very curious. 

“Nah, no one really notices. And if they do we just say that someone was giving us problems and then no one argues,” she says, handing over his stuff. “Anyway, I hope you have a good night!” 

“Thank you, you too,” Zuko responds before driving away. He gets back into the main parking lot, and sees that Sokka is already sitting on the curb. Zuko parks and takes a deep breath to try and settle himself. 

_Just go out there and pretend like it was no big deal. It’s just a saying, you can act like you’re not dying inside. Just go._

Mini pep talk done, and breathing under control, Zuko gets out of his car and goes to sit down next to Sokka. 

* * *

It’s possible that Sokka’s heart skips a beat or two when Zuko sits down next to him, but Sokka fights to keep control of himself. Zuko doesn’t look uncomfortable, or nervous at all to be sitting with him, so Sokka won’t make it weird by talking about the ‘sounds like a date comment’. Zuko does look pretty stressed, but that could be about anything at this point. 

“So, who’s going first for tonight’s breakdown? Wanna rock, paper, scissors for it?” Sokka jokes. 

“Hey, I went first last time,” Zuko argues. 

“Yeah, but, you’re probably more stressed than I am. Plus, I’m curious, how did things go with your sister?” 

Zuko doesn’t answer right away, and Sokka’s worried that he’s overstepped, but thankfully Zuko starts talking. 

And holy shit, all the shit going on with him sounds like it should be a plotline in a drama. 

“Things with my sister are good, I think,” Zuko says. “She, uh, can be very intense when she wants to be.” 

“But it went good? What does that mean for the whole thing with your dad?” Sokka asks. 

“Well, she somehow managed to convince us to, uh, amp up the trial, I guess. As in, she had the idea to not just settle for a restraining order, but to go for fully charging our dad and trying to have him sent to prison,” Zuko explains. 

“Holy shit,” Sokka says, surprised. 

“Yeah, so that happened. She had her reasons for wanting to jump over to our ship. She said she was sick of how our father was running things and how he was trying to control her in ways she didn’t like. So, not really out of the goodness of her heart or wanting to reconnect with me, even though she says that’s part of it. I guess I should be grateful regardless of whatever her reasons are, and I’m really happy she’s getting herself away from him, regardless. She’s helped us build a really strong case, and now with both of us against him, our father will have a lot harder time discounting us. And, we have been talking a lot more, and that’s been nice, even if she is more annoying and frustrating than I remember.” 

It seems that Zuko’s getting a bit more restless as he talks, his legs have started bouncing, and he’s fidgeting with his hands. Sokka doesn’t really know how to ease his anxieties about everything, but if there’s one thing he knows, it’s annoying sisters. 

“That’s insane, though. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to be dealing with all that. Also, sisters are just _like that,_ man. It’s a gift they have to push your buttons, no matter what. And it’s a start, you know? Maybe if things work out how you want and need them to, you guys can work on having a better relationship.” 

“Yeah, I guess. She’s been trying to convince me to come work with her. Says that if we manage to actually get our father sent to prison, that means she moves up in the business, and it leaves her spot open. She’s trying to convince me to take it.” 

If possible, Zuko looks more stressed at this. 

“That’s… wow. It sounds great that your sister wants you two to work together. So wait, your family runs its own business? What is it?” 

Zuko starts fidgeting in a way that Sokka can tell means he’s uncomfortable. Sokka kind of wants to take it back, but it’s out now, and he’s really curious. 

“Yeah, it’s been passed down from our great-grandparents. I’ve never really been involved in it. My father never thought I was a good fit, he always preferred my sister, and I'm fine with that. I figured out a long time ago that I wasn’t cut out for it in the way my father runs it.” 

Zuko kind of dances around fully answering him, but Sokka doesn’t feel like pushing, especially with how uncomfortable he looks now. 

“Well, I don’t know everything about your situation, and obviously I don’t know your sister, but it sounds to me like this is her trying to reconnect with you,” Sokka says, trying to change the subject. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it sounds like the whole business thing is really important to her. So, it seems to me that trying to get you involved in it is her way of trying to reconnect with you with something that means a lot to her. Maybe this is her trying to open herself up to you.” 

“Maybe,” Zuko sighs, running his hands through his hair. “I guess we’ll know in two weeks.” 

“What do you mean, two weeks? Like, your trial is in two weeks?” Sokka asks, a little frantically. 

“Yeah, two weeks,” Zuko confirmed. 

“Holy shit.”

“I’m freaking the fuck out. I’m so scared and nervous about everything. I’m worried that now that we’re trying to do more than just a restraining order that no one will take us seriously. I’m worried that my father will somehow manage to discredit what we’re saying, even with everything we’ve collected. I’m worried that I’ll get up there to tell the judge everything, and I’ll take one look at my father and fucking freeze. I’m worried about everything,” Zuko says in a rush, his breathing coming a lot faster now. 

Zuko buries his head in hands, elbows on his knees. He’s doing some kind of deep breathing shit that Sokka thinks is meant to help him calm down. It makes Sokka’s heart twist to know that this is all because of Zuko’s _own father, for God’s sake._

Sokka scoots a little closer; he’s hesitant to touch Zuko when Zuko can’t see the touch coming, what with all he can infer from how Zuko’s been treated, and his hand hovers in the air from where he was going to place it on Zuko's shoulder. Sokka lets his hand fall back into his own lap, and just settles on scooting just a touch closer. 

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t really know how to make you feel better, here,” Sokka admits. “I think this is a thing that’s only gonna stop once it’s over. But, from what you’ve told me, I think you’re as prepared as you all can be. You’ve got your uncle on your side, and now you’ve got your sister, too. That _has_ to mean something.” 

Zuko’s silent for a few minutes while he calms himself down, working on his breathing. Sokka feels a little helpless just sitting there and watching, but the last thing he wants is to do something that makes Zuko feel worse, so he just waits. 

After what feels like forever, but is really probably only like thirty minutes, Zuko lifts his head. He looks kind of like shit, but also kind of exhausted, and Sokka figures he needed to let all that out and allow himself to freak out a bit, instead of just bottling it all up. 

“God, okay,” Zuko says, shaking himself. “Yeah, one way or another this will all be over soon, there’s nothing more I can do about it except just follow through, now. I think I’m done talking. Your turn.” 

Sokka lets out a started laugh, shaking his own head in return. 

“Yeah alright, let’s distract you with someone else’s problems for now,” Sokka jokes. 

“I’d rather deal with anyone else’s problems than my own, bring it on,” Zuko jokes right back. 

“Yeah, well. Not as stressful as what you’re going through, I promise. What’s been stressing me out lately is school, you know? I graduate at the end of the month, and that means my whole life is ahead of me, and I’m stressing about it,” Sokka starts. 

“Are you stressed about finals?” Zuko asks. “Should I ask Piandao if he wants me to check his grading for the final? We don’t want a repeat of the midterm disaster.” 

“See, you’re joking, but Piandao already said he thought about asking you, but he didn't want to give you another thing to worry about.” 

“Hm, it’d probably be a welcome distraction at this point, though,” Zuko mumbles around his last bite of ice cream. 

“But, no, I’m not worried about finals. I’m worried about what comes _after._ So, I’m getting my bachelor’s degree, and I really want to enter the master’s program and keep going. But the thing is, I already have a job offer. And it’s a _really good one._ I don’t want to pass it up for the master’s program, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get another opportunity like this. But at the same time, I’d _love_ to keep going. Professor Piandao thinks I’d be a good fit for the program, and he’s been encouraging me to go for it, but even _he_ says that the job opportunity I’ve got is a good one. I just don’t know what to do,” Sokka rants, his hands flying with his gestures. 

“Have you talked to the people who are offering you the job?” Zuko asks. “A lot of the time, if you’re showing promise as an employee, bosses won’t mind working with you while you further your education.” 

“No, I haven’t,” Sokka admits. “I’m worried that they’ll take it away if I tell them I want to keep going to school. I’m worried they’ll think I’m not serious enough, that I’m taking the offer for granted.” 

Zuko’s looking at him in a bit of shock. “How’d you get the job offer anyway? Usually, people aren’t scouting out bachelor students, they scout out master’s students.” 

“Um, I’m friends with the owner's son. So, I definitely got lucky, and I don’t want to fuck it up. Especially since it’s a really good company,” Sokka says awkwardly. 

“Well, I’d think they’d be a bit more lenient with you then, no? And if it’s a good company, that even Piadao thinks it’s a good opportunity, I’d think they wouldn’t be handing out positions to anyone who didn’t deserve it. I don’t think you should worry about you getting it because of luck,” Zuko muses. He looks like he’s actually thinking all this through, and the fact that Zuko is taking this seriously has Sokka feeling a little better. 

“I don’t know. I think the fact that I’m familiar with them and am friends with them, that I’m putting more pressure on myself to just take the job. So, I feel guilty for not immediately taking it. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.” Sokka says. 

“I can understand that,” Zuko agrees, nodding his head. “When is the application for the master’s program due?”

Sokka laughs, “Two weeks.”

“Of course,” Zuko says, sighing. “I hate to say this, but you’re gonna have to make a decision soon. I can try and give you some advice, based on how I’m viewing the situation, but I know it’s probably not gonna make your decision any easier. Sorry.

“Honestly, I’ll take anything at this point,” Sokka says. “And you don’t need to apologize or anything, I know I’m making things more difficult on myself.”

“Well, I think you should talk to your friend's dad about wanting to do the master’s program. I meant it when I said that a lot of businesses, especially ones with good reputations are willing to work with employees about their education. They see it as an investment. They’re lenient with you now and help you further your education, and in return, they get a more qualified employee. Maybe you can work something out with him. Work for him in your spare time while you do the master’s program. Spin it almost like a business expense; he invests in you now and you get more training and experience. It’s a win-win.”

“Also,” Zuko continues. “If he already knows you and believes in you enough to offer you a job, I don’t think he’d have a problem with you wanting to learn more.”

Sokka is kind of floored by that response. Sure, he’d thought about trying to talk something through his Teo’s dad, Sokka had talked himself out of it every time. He’d thought that trying to work out a deal would make him seem entitled and greedy, but the way Zuko is making it sound, it doesn’t seem like that’s exactly the case. It gives him a little bit of hope. 

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Zuko says suddenly. “Not always just black and white. You can have some gray, too.”

“You know, you’ve made a very diplomatic and convincing argument. Dare I say, even business-like. Maybe you _should_ take your sister up on that offer,” Sokka jokes, trying to get rid of the serious feeling in the air. 

“Ha ha,” Zuko says sarcastically. “I’m just saying, it’s worth a shot.”

“Yeah,” Sokka agrees. “It doesn’t sound like too bad of a plan, actually. Maybe I will try talking to him.”

“Awesome,” Zuko says, clapping his hands. “The serious talks are over now, we’re both stressed to hell and back, and one way or another, everything will be done with by the end of the month, at the latest.” 

“Wonderful, that doesn’t stress me out even more at all.”

“So, did you watch Real Housewives this weekend? Because I did, and the drama between Maya and Ming is about to boil over.” 

For some time after that, they just talk about whatever comes to mind. They talk about TV a little, and what they’ve been doing to pass the time and keep themselves put together. Zuko mentions that he’s been watching a lot of cooking videos, and Sokka proudly proclaims that while he can’t really cook, he _can_ make some killer pancakes. Sokka talks about how he’s been trying some new exercise sequences, and Zuko recommends a girl on YouTube who does a bunch of crazy stretches and flips and other stuff. They talk about Zuko’s uncle’s little tea shop, and how he uses it as a glorified hang out for him and the rest of his Pai Sho friends. Zuko dishes a little bit more on Piandao, and Sokka recounts some of the craziest stuff he’s seen in his classes. 

They must sit there for another hour or two at least, and Sokka honestly has never felt so at peace with another person that wasn’t his family before. 

It’s a good feeling. 

They finally agree to go their separate ways when it’s nearing 3 am and Zuko starts yawning and can’t stop. Sokka throws away their garbage this time, coming back over quickly enough to offer Zuko a hand up. Zuko accepts it, and if Sokka keeps a hold of his hand for a second too long, well, Zuko doesn’t pull his hand away either. 

When they’re at their cars, and stalling to get inside and leave, Sokka makes a decision. 

“Hey,” he says, hesitantly. “I was wondering. Maybe I could get your number? Or maybe I could give you mine if you’re still changing yours? You don’t have to, obviously, but I thought, maybe? It would be nice to be able to talk to you when we’re not both having breakdowns.”

“Yeah,” Zuko says, nodding his head. He hardly even hesitates and something in Sokka soars a little. “Yeah, um. Maybe give me yours? I’ll probably end up changing mine one last time once all this stuff with my father is over. So, as long as I have yours, we can talk.”

“Perfect,” Sokka says, a little breathless. Zuko hands over his phone and Sokka puts his number in with shaking hands, and he makes sure it’s right before he hands it back. 

“I’ll text you,” Zuko says, getting into his car. Sokka gets into his own with a smile on his face. 

“I’ll look forward to it.”

* * *

Sokka asks for his phone number, and Zuko swears his heart skips a beat. He doesn’t let himself hesitate, handing over his phone without a thought, and the promise to text him soon is out there, and Zuko doesn’t regret it at all. 

They part ways with a final goodbye, and Zuko drives back to his apartment in a bit of a daze. He feels a lot calmer than he did before he left his apartment. He thinks that talking things through and actually having a little bit of a breakdown might have helped him release some tension. He feels better, feels tired and relaxed, ready to go to bed. He hopes he can hold onto this calm for a few days longer and hopes that it doesn’t all come back to hit him again in the morning. 

He gets back to his apartment, letting himself in and locking everything up behind him. He gets into his bed, only just remembering to text Azula that he’s back.

_Back at my apartment. No need to avenge my death for tonight at least._

He doesn’t get an immediate response, and he hopes that Azula is managing to get some sleep. 

On a whim, Zuko decides to text Sokka as well. _I did promise to text, and what better chance is he gonna get than this?_

He ends up sending: _Hey, this is Zuko. Figured I’d text you so you had my number, too._

_Hey Zuko! I’m saving your number as we speak. I’m sure I’ll talk to you soon, but for now, good night._

_Good night._

* * *

Sokka drives home feeling like he’s on cloud nine. He doesn’t feel quite as stressed anymore, though he’s still a little worried. But, he has a game plan now, so he feels a little more in control. 

Zuko gave him some pretty good advice, and Sokka plans on taking it. He’ll find time to talk to Teo’s dad sometime this week and see how it all goes. He desperately wants it all to work out, and he hopes that they’re able to come to some kind of agreement. Zuko had sounded confident in what he was saying, and it all sounded pretty sound, so Sokka has hope.

He tries not to let himself rely too much on this plan. He knows that not everything always works out, and he knows that the real world is a lot different than school, but he _wants_ to believe this will work. 

He gets home and enters as quietly as he can. He takes off his shoes at the door, tossing the note left for Katara on his way to his room. He changes into a pair of pajamas, climbing into bed, feeling the fatigue suddenly hit him. 

Just as he’s about to fall asleep, he hears his phone ding. 

He looks at it with bleary eyes, immediately lighting up when he sees who it is.

_Hey, this is Zuko. Figured I’d text you so you had my number, too._

_Hey Zuko!_ Sokka replies, typing quickly in his excitement. _I’m saving your number as we speak. I’m sure I’ll talk to you soon, but for now, good night._

There. Easy, simple, hopefully not too excited or desperate-sounding.

_Good night._ Zuko responds and Sokka puts his phone back down, making sure it’s charging. 

Sokka cuddles back down into the bed, feeling of calm in his chest and a plan in his mind, Sokka sleeps easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, chapter 3 is done and we're in the final stretch! 
> 
> It may take a little longer for the final chapter to get out, for a few different reasons. One, I want to take my time with it and make sure I give everything a proper ending that I'm happy with, so I'll be taking a little more time with it. Second, my city is going through such a bad heatwave that we're having rolling blackouts. So fun. I love it. (I hate it.) So, there are periods of time where I'm going without power, so it'll probably take me a little longer to finish (It's also why I pushed to get this chapter out so soon after chapter 2 lol)
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed! Stay safe, hydrated, and wear a mask. Hopefully the last chapter will be posted by Friday!


	4. Trials and Tribulations (and Talking About Feelings)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka tackles his future head-on, Zuko and Azula tackle their father head-on.
> 
> Dates in the daylight may be planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The last chapter! This has certainly been a journey, and I can't thank you guys enough for coming along with me. Thank you to everyone who's read this, it truly means more than I can put into words. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this final chapter!
> 
> (Not beta-read, so mistakes are my own)

Sokka decides in the days coming after his latest midnight breakdown that he needs to talk to Teo’s dad soon. The deadline to turn in his master’s program application is coming up quickly, and every day that passes lessens the confidence he’s managed to build up for The Conversation he needs to have. 

He’s managed to build up so much confidence about it in the first place because he’s talked to his family about it, and gotten their support on the matter as well. 

He’d told Katara about his plan the day after talking to Zuko. He’d mentioned it casually, almost blase about it, even though he was practically dying inside worrying about what she might say. 

“So, I think I’m gonna talk to Teo’s dad about possibly working something out so I can keep his job offer and still join the master’s program,” Sokka had said one night at dinner.

“Oh, yeah?” Katara had asked, a little shocked. “I’m sure he wouldn’t have a problem working something out with you. He practically salivates over your brain as it is, I’m sure he’d love it if you kept going to school.”

Sokka had been, understandably, floored by that. “You think so?”

“Yeah, of course. He already thinks you’re god’s gift to engineering. I’d think, even if he is a little disappointed that you’re not going to work for him immediately, that he wouldn’t want to risk a different company snatching you up,” Katara had said confidently. 

“And what do you think about me applying for the master’s program?”

“I think you’d do great,” she said. “And hasn’t that one professor of yours been trying to get you to apply? If your professors think you’re a good fit, I can’t see this being a  _ bad  _ idea.”

Sokka had been quiet for a while as he let that all sink in. He knows, logically, that Katara thinks he’s smart and has confidence in him when it comes to what he does. He knows that Katara is proud of him, and has faith that he can accomplish his goals. Usually, though, she doesn’t say it so blatantly. So having her so calmly and surely hand out these kinds of compliments to him is making him feel all kinds of mushy. 

“You really think it’ll be okay?” he’d asked softly. 

“Sokka, I think you’re going to be shocked by how okay this turns out,” Katara had assured him. 

Talking to his dad had been a little harder, but he knew he needed to do it before he actually talked to Teo’s dad. The timing of it worked out, Katara and Sokka had already planned to go visit dad for the weekend since finals were coming up and neither of them would really have time in the upcoming weeks to visit again. Katara had tried to assure him that everything would be fine, but Sokka’s feelings when it came to making his dad proud have always been… intense. 

For as long as Sokka could remember, he’d always wanted to be like his father and make him proud. That urge had only gotten stronger the older he’d gotten and the more he admired his dad’s work ethic and skills. It’s like his dad is naturally good at everything he does, and Sokka… isn’t. He’s always had to work ten times as hard as other people to get the same results, things not coming as naturally to him as he’d like. It had always been a massive blow to his self-esteem, trying something that his father wanted to share with him, and not being good at it, even after practicing, and having to hear his father's sad “Maybe next time”. 

And then Sokka had found science and engineering and creating, and it all came  _ naturally  _ to him. He was able to come up with ideas for creations and be able to execute them with little to no trouble. He was able to solve those hard math problems in half the time that other people could. He loved science and seeing how every part of the world came together. He loved math and how he was able to use equations to help with his creations. And more than anything, he loved the actual building and creating itself. He loved spending hours upon hours creating increasingly fantastical plans, and then actually being able to come up with ways to make those fantastical plans  _ possible _ . He loved it, and he was good at it, and it was something he wanted to do forever. 

But on the other hand, those were all things that his dad didn’t really… get. Of course, he encouraged Sokka in what he was doing, knowing how deep Sokka was in. And he tried to understand in ways that he could, but nothing ever really clicked. He let Sokka rant and talk and go on and on about his latest projects and how he felt about that scientist or this mathematician, and his dad tried to listen and follow along as well as he could. But, it always broke Sokka’s heart a little to hear his dad say “I don’t really know what you’re talking about but I’ll take your word for it” or “none of that really made sense to me, but I’m glad you’re having fun” or any other variation of his dad not understanding something that was so important to him. 

It made Sokka feel like he had to try that much harder to prove that he was worthy of his dad's approval and pride. That what he was doing was important and good, and he wasn’t just doing it to have fun or because he was good at it, but because he could make a  _ difference  _ doing this. Sokka really believed that if he kept going with this and pushed himself to keep getting better, he could do so many great things. He just wanted his dad to believe that, too.

Seeing his dad when he and Katara arrived at the house for the weekend had nearly sent Sokka’s nerves into a tailspin. Katara had asked him if he wanted to talk to dad alone or with all of them there, and Sokka had asked to talk to him alone. Having Katara there would probably make Sokka feel better, especially since she was already on his side, but he felt like he had to do this alone. So, when they got there, Katara had pulled Bato and Gran-Gran into the kitchen, distracting them with talk about some new recipe Aang had shared with her that she wanted to try out for them, and Sokka had pulled his dad back, intent on just biting the bullet and getting this talk over with. 

“Hey, dad, could I talk to you real quick?” Sokka had asked, nerves making his voice come out a little shaky. 

“Of course, Sokka. Is everything alright?” he had asked, pulling Sokka down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. 

“Um, I just wanted to talk to you about something that I’ve decided to do,” Sokka said, stumbling over his words a little. “Or, well, something that I’m gonna try to do, it might not work, but I want to try anyway.”

“What is it?” Dad sat down on the corner of the bed in his room and motioned for Sokka to sit next to him. Sokka was way too jittery to sit down, so he stayed standing. 

“Well, you know how I’m graduating in like, two weeks?” Sokka started, pacing up and down in front of him. “And how I have that job offer already?”

“Yes,” Dad drew out. “What’s going on, Sokka? You’re making me nervous.”

“Well, I think I want to try to enter the master’s program, and that means that I’ll be going back to school, so I won’t be able to work full time. So, I want to try and work something out with Teo’s dad that lets me do the master’s program without losing the job he’s offering me,” Sokka had rushed out.

“That’s a big decision,” Dad had said. “Have you thought it through all the way? From what you’ve told me, this is a great job that you’ve been offered.”

“I’ve thought a lot about it, yeah. I really want to keep going to school and do the master’s program. There’s so much more I have to learn, and so much more I can do, and I really want to learn everything I can. I want to keep getting better. I know I can do so much more than I’m doing right now, and the master’s program will help me do that.”

“And have you already been accepted into this program? What exactly does it all mean? I mean, I’m sure Teo’s father would work with you, he seems like a good man. But I just want you to be sure that you’ve thought of everything.” He had seemed really concerned, and very confused. Sokka knew his dad was just being practical about this, making sure Sokka had thought of all the possible consequences of potentially losing a solid job offer, but it still hurt that he didn’t trust Sokka enough to weigh the pros and cons himself.

“Trust me, dad, this is all I’ve thought about for probably months, now. I’ve thought of every possible scenario, and I think this will be worth it.”

“Okay,” Dad had said, a little more calmly now. “I can see that you’re serious about this, and it means a lot to you. So, you’ve been accepted and everything? How does it work?”

“Well, I haven’t  _ exactly  _ been accepted yet. But! One of the professors in charge of the program has all but guaranteed I’ll be accepted once I turn in my application. Which is finished, by the way!”

“Sokka,” Dad had tried to interrupt, but Sokka had kept talking over him. 

“The only reason I haven’t applied yet is because I wanted to talk to Teo’s dad first! I wanted to see if we could work something out first!”

“Sokka, I just want you to be sure of what you’re doing. It seems like you’re leaving a lot to chance here.”

“I’m sure,” Sokka had said confidently. “I think this could work out really well for me. And regardless of how things happen with Teo’s dad, I know I want to go into the master’s program. There’s so much more that I can learn, so much more that I can do. I know that maybe giving up a for sure job isn’t something that exactly smart, but I have a good feeling this will all work out.”

His dad hadn’t said anything right away, sitting there in silence. Sokka had stewed in his nerves for a moment before he ended up blurting out:

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” he had said quietly. “I want to make you proud of me. If you think this is a bad idea, and you don’t think I should, then I won’t.”

“Oh, Sokka, of course I’m proud of you,” his dad had said, pulling him down onto the bed next to him. Sokka hadn’t looked him in the eyes, keeping his gaze down. “You could never disappoint me. You make me so proud. You’re so smart, and so clever with the things you’re doing. I don’t always understand it, a lot of that tech language goes right over my head. But, what I do know is that you’re so incredible. You create these things out of nothing but your imagination and make them  _ real.  _ You’re so clever and intuitive, Teo’s father would be a fool to not see your potential. So, if you really want to do this, of course I support you.”

Sokka’s eyes had filled with tears while his dad talked, and Sokka hadn’t even tried to hide them. 

“Really?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking. 

“Really. There’s not a thing in this world that would ever make me not be proud of you.”

Sokka had tried to wipe at his eyes when the tears fell, but then his dad had pulled him into a hug and Sokka gave up trying to control the tears. 

The rest of the weekend had been easy. No more hard and emotional talks, just hanging out and spending time together. When Sokka and Katara had left to go back to their place in the city, his dad had pulled him into a long, tight hug, and Sokka had returned it just as strongly. 

So, Sokka has managed to amass a fair amount of confidence for going to meet with Teo’s dad and having The Conversation with him. With his family’s support behind him, Sokka feels a little more comfortable knowing that he’s not going into this alone and that he won’t be making anyone disappointed (except for himself) if this doesn’t work out. 

Sokka knows that if this conversation turns bad, he’ll start questioning everything about himself. He put on a brave face when he was talking to his dad, but he knows that if he loses this opportunity right in front of him, he’ll be so disappointed in himself. He knows he’s asking for a lot here, asking for a lot of exceptions to be made for him, but he has to at least  _ try.  _ He wants both of these things so badly, more than anything. He knows the saying ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it, too’, but  _ why not?  _ What’s the point of having a cake if you can’t eat it? Why can’t he want both? Shoot for the moon, fall amongst the stars, and all that shit. There’s been a near-constant pit in his stomach for weeks and he’s even started dreaming about this. It’s at the back of his mind all the time, and the thoughts refuse to go away. 

Sokka just  _ wants _ . So badly it hurts. 

He’s called Teo’s father, and now he has a date for this upcoming conversation. The conversation that has the potential to greatly change Sokka’s life, how he views himself, and his mental state. 

And when he says upcoming, he means  _ upcoming _ . As in,  _ tomorrow _ , kind of upcoming. 

Sokka is freaking the fuck out. 

Since tomorrow is a Friday, Sokka doesn’t have any classes. Sokka’s supposed to get to Northern Air at nine tomorrow morning, where he’ll meet up with Teo’s father so they can talk in his office in a (semi) professional setting. Sokka’s nervous that actually going to Northern Air and walking around the building is going to give him second thoughts, and he keeps talking himself into staying firm. 

He’s trying to go to bed early, so he can get up early, but he’s having trouble sleeping. He doesn’t want to go bother Katara, he’s sure she’s about to go to bed, too or if not, she’s probably busy. 

Zuko’s probably awake, right? The guy’s got plenty to stress about and seems to sleep as often as Sokka does, which is hardly ever. Sokka’s gonna text him. He probably should anyway right? This was Zuko’s idea in the first place. 

_ Hey, you awake? Or if this text wakes you up, go back to sleep it’s not important _

There, simple enough and doesn’t display the anxiety that he’s feeling. 

_ I’m awake, it’s only 10. What’s up? _

_ Just wanted to let you know that I’m going to talk to my possible future boss tomorrow about everything.  _

_ Really? Sounds pretty important to me. What time? I’m sure you’re nervous, and I’m the last person to give advice about being nervous, but try to stay calm. I’m sure it will all work out. _

_ I’m supposed to get there at 9 tomorrow morning. I’m pretty nervous, I talked to my dad about it the other day and it made me feel better for a little while, but now I’m nervous again _

_ Bring him coffee in the morning, a little buttering up never hurt anyone. Don’t beat yourself up about being nervous, it’s completely valid for you to feel like that. This is a pretty important conversation you’re about to have, you have good reasons for being nervous. Not that I’m telling you to be nervous! I’m just trying to say that I get why you are. _

_ You know what? I absolutely will bring him coffee tomorrow. And idk I feel like I’m gonna be nervous no matter what, but thanks for understanding why I am. And either way The Conversation will be over tomorrow and I’ll have an answer. _

_ That’s the spirit? I think? Talking to your dad helped you feel better right? Hold onto that conversation instead of thinking about The Conversation, and see if that doesn’t help you feel a little better.  _

_ I’ll try. Anyway, what have you been up to? _

They keep texting for a little while after that, talking about the movie that Zuko’s watching (it’s the first time he’s seeing  _ Twilight _ , oh my god, Sokka is having the time of his life right now). He extracts a promise out of Zuko to text him his live reactions to the other movies when he ends up watching them, though it takes a little coercing. ( _ This first movie is painful enough, you’re telling me there’s 4 more? I don’t think I can do that.)  _ Zuko asks him about his finals, and Sokka gushes a little about his final projects. Zuko asks questions about how things work and why he’s choosing one way over another, and Sokka successfully gets distracted enough that he’s no longer thinking about tomorrow, but about ways to make his projects better. 

Sokka says goodnight when it gets close to midnight, since he has to get up early, and he’s able to sleep relatively easily. 

***

Sokka wakes up feeling well-rested and calm, turning off his alarm and then laying there for an extra moment. 

Then  _ why  _ he had to turn off his alarm hits him, and Sokka jumps out of bed. 

He rushes around, getting dressed in a decent outfit that’s been deemed by Katara as semi-professional looking but not like he’s trying too hard. He goes into the bathroom, brushing his teeth and then doing his hair carefully, making sure there’s not a hair out of place or loose. He debates eating breakfast, but his stomach is already twisting in a not so fun way and he doesn’t want to risk it. 

He sits at the kitchen counter, trying to calm himself. He has about twenty minutes before he needs to leave, but maybe he should leave early, especially if he wants to bring coffee. Sokka pulls out his phone for a quick distraction, he’d gotten ready faster than he thought he would, so he has extra time, he doesn’t  _ need  _ to leave yet. 

He has a new text on his phone.

It’s from Zuko. Sent at seven o’clock this morning. 

_ Good luck today. I hope it all works out how you want.  _

Sokka’s stomach starts twisting for a completely different reason now.

_ Thank you. I’m heading over there soon. Gonna stop by starbucks first because if there’s one thing an engineer appreciates, it’s overpriced oversugared coffee  _

_ I’d think an engineer would appreciate strong black coffee, no? What with the lack of sleep and constant brain activity.  _ Is the response he gets almost immediately. Sokka can’t stop himself from smiling widely. 

_ Only the boring ones like black coffee. This one is decidedly Not Boring _

_ So, you prefer overpriced oversugared coffee too, then? Because if there’s one thing I know about you it’s that you’re not boring.  _

Sokka feels himself blush as he reads that, cause damn, he doesn’t even think Zuko is trying to flirt with him, he’s probably just making conversation. 

_ I love overpriced and oversugared coffee, actually. But I should probably go now, so I won’t respond for a while. No texting and driving.  _

_ Alright. Good luck, again. Let me know how it goes. _

_ I will _

Sokka leaves it at that, standing up to grab some things before he leaves. He makes sure he has his wallet, checks his reflection one last time, and then slips on his shoes. At the door, he takes a deep breath, and then he’s on his way. 

He tries to drive as normally as he can, trying not to speed even though his nerves are steadily growing. Sokka does indeed stop at a Starbucks that’s close to Northern Air. He contemplates, very briefly, getting himself something that doesn’t have caffeine since he’s already so jittery, but if he’s going to be spending nearly six dollars for a drink, he’s getting himself some caffeine. 

Sokka arrives at Northern Air and parks in one of the visitor spots like he was instructed to. He’s early; it’s only 8:45 and he’s not meant to be here until 9, but better early than late. He doesn’t want to go inside too early, though, so he’ll wait a few minutes before going inside and checking in with the receptionist. Sokka pulls out his phone once more.

_ About to go in, wish me luck. _ He sends to Zuko.

_ Good luck. Everything will work out.  _

Sokka reads that message a few times, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He rereads all the messages from this morning, killing time and calming himself down in turn. 

At 8:53 Sokka gets out of his car and heads into the building. 

The receptionist checks him in with a smile, giving him directions to the office they’re meeting in. Sokka’s pretty sure it’s Teo’s dad’s office, but he’s not trusting himself to remember where exactly that was from the last time he was here, so he follows the directions. Sokka gets to the office and knocks politely on the door, balancing the coffees in one hand. 

Sure enough, not a moment later, Sokka hears Teo’s dad’s voice call out, “Come in!”

Sokka carefully opens the door, making sure not to spill the drinks in his hand, and is greeted with the sight of Teo’s father in all his strange, eclectic glory. 

“Sokka, my boy!” he calls. “Come in, come in!”

“Good morning. I brought you a coffee,” Sokka says, closing the door behind him and holding out the drink. 

“Ah, thank you! A wonderful surprise,” he says, taking the cup and immediately taking a huge gulp. “Mm, perfect. How did you know I liked my coffee with a lot of sugar?”

“Just a guess,” Sokka says, then clears his throat. “Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice.”

“Of course! Here take a seat,” he says, motioning for Sokka to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Instead of sitting down behind the desk across from Sokka, he sits in the chair next to him. “Now, what is it you wanted to talk about? A project you need help with? Ideas to bounce off of? Your finals are soon, right? You're welcome to use one of the labs here to build your projects.”

“Oh, um,” Sokka stutters out, not expecting well… any of that. “I kind of wanted to talk about after my graduation.”

“Oh, yes. I thought you might want the summer to relax before you start working, so I wasn’t expecting this conversation so soon. Or are you getting other offers? I’m prepared to negotiate an employment contract with you if need be.”

“Um, well, actually, I wanted to talk about something kind of different?” Sokka hedges, still wondering how exactly to say what he wants with how…  _ kind  _ the man is being right now.

“What is it? Is there a problem?” he sounds so concerned, and damn it, Sokka can’t hold it in anymore. 

“I want to enter the master’s program at the university, and I was wondering if I could work something out with you so that I can do that without giving up a possible position here,” Sokka blurts out. 

“Oh, is that all?” he says completely nonchalant, and Sokka feels his jaw drop. “Of course we can work something out. If you’d like to just focus on your master’s, don’t worry about losing any position here. Or if you’d like to do an internship, or part-time work here while doing your master’s we can do that, too.”

“I-, that’s it? That simple?” Sokka asks, still shocked.

“Oh, you’re right actually,” he says, and Sokka’s heart sinks. “We should make a deal that you  _ do  _ come work for me after your master’s and not another company.”

And Sokka is right back to being confused. 

“I’m confused.”

“Well, you going to do your master’s is going to put a lot more eyes on you. Companies often scout out graduating master’s students for their new hires. And with how talented you are already, I’m sure you’ll thrive exponentially in the master’s program. I have no doubt that companies would be fighting over you,” he says so simply. Like it was just fact. And Sokka… Sokka is having a hard time with that. He thinks he feels his eyes start to burn, but he ignores that.

“You… you really think that?” he asks softly. 

“Of course, Sokka,” he responds quickly. “I’ve worked with you personally a few times, I know first hand just how brilliant you are when it comes to this business. It would be an honor to have you work for me. Whatever we need to do to make that happen, we’ll do. If that means waiting a little longer while you complete your master’s, or working out some kind of part-time or intern position, we’ll do that.”

“I don’t even know if I’ll be accepted in the master’s program or not,” Sokka says breathlessly, not quite believing what he’s hearing. 

“Well, if you don’t, which I find very unlikely, you can come work for me straight away and apply again next year, if you really want to do the program.”

“Sir, I don’t want to seem ungrateful for, for all of this, but I just… I’m having a hard time believing that it’s so simple,” Sokka admits. “I came in here expecting the worst and you’ve basically just given me the dream scenario.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No! No, not at all!” Sokka says quickly. “I’m so grateful, really I am. I just, I guess I feel like I don’t deserve such a great opportunity.”

“Sokka, I’m not quite sure how else to say this,” he starts. “But you are truly one of the brightest individuals I’ve worked with. I would love to work with you in the future. And if you feel the need to go through the master’s program, I believe you would flourish in it, and it would help you greatly for the future. So, if you need time before you’re ready to come work, I’m more than willing to give you that time.”

Sokka can’t physically say anything for a few moments. He just stares at one of his best friend’s father, who’s just offered him the deal of a lifetime, and validated Sokka in the one thing he prides himself on the most.

Sokka might be trying to stop himself from crying in front of this man. 

“Thank you,” Sokka finally manages, voice thick. “Thank you, so much for this.”

“It is my pleasure, Sokka. Trust me.”

After that, the two spend some more time talking. Sokka gets asked questions about his finals and his final projects, which he answers with gusto. He gets offered one more time to use a lab or workshop here, but Sokka declines. Says it wouldn’t be fair to the other students who don’t have the same opportunity or resources. In return, Sokka is told about some of the more basic projects that the company is working on. (“For legal reasons, I can’t tell you about the secret ones until you work here, but trust me, they’re so fun.”) They finish the cups of coffee that they have currently, refilling them from the little machine that’s in the office. They catch up in other ways, Sokka telling him about what Katara and Aang have been up to, and in return, he gets some embarrassing stories about Teo that Sokka can use as blackmail. 

Eventually, work has to continue, and so Sokka makes his leave with another heartfelt thank you and goodbye. Sokka leaves the building with a polite wave to the receptionist. He walks back to his car practically in a daze, so shocked that things had worked out so… perfectly. 

Sokka’s life doesn’t usually work out like that. 

This is a nice change of pace. 

Sokka gets into his car, but he doesn’t start it yet. Instead, he sits there for a moment, waiting for everything to sink in. It doesn’t feel real that this went so well when he was so worried about it, to begin with. To think, just this morning, Sokka was on the brink of a panic attack just thinking about what the conversation could have ended up being. And now he’s sitting in his car, feeling like he’s on cloud nine and smiling like a fool. Sokka can’t think of anything that could make him feel better than he does right now. 

He thinks about calling Katara or Dad, but he wants to see their faces when he tells them. He needs to tell  _ someone  _ though because Sokka feels like he’s about to burst. Almost mindlessly, he reaches for his phone, dialing a number and putting it on speaker while he starts the car. 

“Hello?” Zuko’s voice comes through.

“Hi,” Sokka says, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice. “Are you busy? Is this a good time?”

“I’m not doing anything, no,” Zuko answers. “What’s up? Are you out of your meeting?”

“Yup,” Sokka says, biting his lip to try and keep himself from bursting out the news. 

“Well?” Zuko asks. “You sound excited, so I’m guessing something good happened? Tell me.”

“I’m gonna be real, I went in there expecting the worst-case scenario and walked out feeling like I was living in a dream,” Sokka says, laughing a little. He finally pulls out of the building's parking lot, heading back home. He drives a little slower, and a little more carefully, taking the long way through the less busy roads so he’s not around as many cars now that he’s on the phone. 

“That’s great, Sokka,” Zuko sounds happy and maybe a little relieved, too. “So what exactly happened?” 

Sokka spends most of the drive home recounting his conversation, interjecting every now and then to explain to Zuko how he felt in the moment. Zuko doesn’t interrupt, but he does make appropriate listening noises, and Sokka is satisfied. 

“I really couldn’t have asked for anything better to happen,” Sokka finishes. “I was so nervous and afraid to do this, and it ended up so much better than I could have ever imagined.” 

“Well,” Zuko finally speaks. “If it means anything, I’m proud of you for having the conversation at all. It was something that you seemed really afraid to do, and you risked a lot by doing it. But, you still did it, and I think that makes you very brave.” 

“Zuko, you’re making me blush,” Sokka tries to joke, but he’s  _ actually blushing  _ so is it really a joke? 

“I’m serious,” Zuko says. And yeah, Sokka knows he is, that’s why he’s blushing in the first place. “You know, most people define bravery as being afraid to do something, but doing it anyway. Making the leap even if you’re scared. Thinking about doing that was causing you a lot of anxiety and stress, but you did it  _ anyway.  _ And you got a great result from doing it.” 

“Thanks,” Sokka mumbles, definitely still blushing because  _ damn.  _ And again, Sokka doesn’t even think Zuko’s flirting, he thinks he’s just  _ like that.  _ It’s possible Sokka may not survive much longer. “It means a lot that you’ve kind of helped me through this. Giving me advice and helping to calm me down and all. I know we haven’t really said it, but I’m grateful that you keep helping me like this.” 

“Well now  _ you’re  _ making  _ me  _ blush,” Zuko says. Sokka smiles wider at that, just imagining Zuko with his cheeks all flushed. “But, you’ve done the same for me. Listening to me rant about all kinds of things, and giving me advice, and calming me down or distracting me. So, thank  _ you.  _ And we can call ourselves even.” 

“Even it is,” Sokka agrees, turning onto the road his and Katara’s place is on. “But don’t think this means I’ll be leaving you alone now.” 

“Oh, of course not,” Zuko says immediately. “The trial is in a week, and my sister is coming to stay with me a few days before. I’ve learned that she’s never seen  _ Twilight _ either, so I’m going to make her watch the first one and then the rest with me, and you asked for reactions.” 

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it,” Sokka assures him. He pulls into the driveway but doesn’t get out yet. He knows as soon as he goes inside, Katara will ask him for details and he wants to talk to Zuko a bit more. 

“Careful though,” Sokka warns. “If she says she needs a break from them, take a break. Otherwise, that might be a sure-fire way to make her hate you, and you to hate yourself.” 

“They can’t be that bad,” Zuko says, disbelieving. 

Sokka just hums in response, but he lets Zuko have his innocence a little longer. He’d told Sokka he hadn’t read the books, despite being an English major, so he really has no idea what’s in store for him. 

“So,” Sokka says instead. “A week, huh? When is your sister coming?”

“Yeah,” Zuko sighs. “My sister’s coming on Thursday, and then the trial starts next Monday. I know finals start on Monday, too, so—” 

“You can still call or text me, if you want,” Sokka interrupts. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll send you my final schedule, if you want. That way you don’t have to worry about trying to text or anything while I’m in a final. And besides, my finals are kind of weird, most of them were projects, and so our ‘final’ is just us turning in the project and making sure it works.” 

“If you’re sure,” Zuko says softly. “I don’t want to bother you if you’re busy.” 

“Trust me, this wouldn’t be bothering me,” Sokka assures. “If you feel any need or want to send a message, you have blanket permission to do so.”

Zuko’s quiet for a moment, and Sokka worries his bottom lip between his teeth while he waits for Zuko to respond. 

“Alright,” Zuko says finally. “I’ll do that.”

“Good. Now, I hate to cut this conversation short, but I should probably go inside. My sister’s probably wondering how things went, and I should call my dad, too.”

“Oh, yeah, alright,” Zuko says. “I guess I’ll talk to you sometime soon?” 

“Definitely,” Sokka agrees. “Bye.” 

“Bye.” 

Sokka hangs up the phone, letting out another deep breath, a smile still taking over his face. He gets out of the car and makes his way inside, not bothering to be quiet about it. He hears Katara’s music playing, so she’s probably in the living room or kitchen. Sokka doesn’t feel even a little bit bad for running in to find her, yelling her name.

“Katara!” he calls out, running into the living room to find Katara surrounded by her textbooks and other study material. “Katara, guess what happened!”

“Sokka! You look excited. Everything was good then?” she asks, standing up and coming over to him. 

“It was great!” he says, pulling her into a hug. “He was really nice, and basically told me that we could work out whatever we needed to work out so I can work there and still do the master’s program.”

“That’s great, Sokka! I’m so happy for you,” Katara squeezes her arms around him, letting Sokka hug her for as long as he wants. “I’m so glad it all worked out.”

“Yeah, I was pretty surprised it was that easy, but I’m so happy.”

“I’m glad,” Katara says, pulling away. “Now, go eat something. I know you didn’t have breakfast this morning.”

“Alright, alright,” Sokka agrees. He goes into the kitchen, but he only makes a sandwich, not in the mood to take the time to make something else. He takes it back into the living room, sitting on the floor in front of their little coffee table. 

“Oh, hey,” Katara says suddenly. “Did you call Dad already? I heard you pull up, but when you didn’t come in right away I looked out the window and it looked like you were on the phone.”

“Oh, uh, no I didn’t call dad yet,” Sokka stutters out. 

“Who were you on the phone with then?” 

_ Shit.  _

‘Um, well. I met this boy a few months ago, and we’ve been talking a lot. We kind of run in similar circles, he knows Professor Piandao,” Sokka starts.  _ I’m not really lying _ , he thinks.  _ That’s all true, and there’s no way I’m telling her that I’ve been driving around after having fucking mental breakdowns and bonded with a stranger.  _ “I had told him about all of this a while ago, just kind of ranting, and he gave me some advice for talking to Teo’s dad. So, I called him and told him how it went.”

“Sokka, you’ve been talking to a boy and you haven’t told me?” Katara asks accusingly, but Sokka can tell she’s teasing him.

“It’s not like that,” Sokka tries to say, but then Katara gives him a  _ look.  _ “Okay, it’s kind of like that. For me, at least. He’s really pretty, and smart, and he gives good advice, and I kind of like him. But, it’s not a big deal.”

Katara hums, and Sokka knows this isn’t the end of this conversation, so he quickly changes the subject. 

“I’m gonna facetime Dad now. Wanna see his face when I tell him,” Sokka says, standing up and scooting towards his room. 

‘Have fun,” Katara calls out to him, and Sokka fully escapes to his room. 

Sokka does indeed facetime his dad and tells him the good news. His dad is happy, all wide smiles and laughing congratulations, and it makes Sokka feel like he’s walking on cloud nine again. They talk for a while, Sokka recounting the conversation and then just chatting a little bit. Eventually, Sokka says goodbye, telling his dad that he should work on some of his projects. 

For almost the rest of the day, Sokka stays in his room, holed up working on studying for his finals, and finishing up some plans for his projects. He finishes a set of plans for one class, makes a set of flashcards for another, works on a study guide for a different one. When he can’t physically look at his schoolwork anymore, Sokka goes over his master’s application and portfolio one last time, making sure everything looks good. He thinks about submitting it online right then, but he has to turn in his portfolio in person, and he wants Professor Piandao to look it over one last time, too. 

Sokka has a good feeling that things are looking up for him 

* * *

On Tuesday, Sokka stays behind after Piandao’s class, waiting for everyone else to leave before walking up to the man. 

“How can I help you, Sokka?” Piandao asks. 

“I was wondering,” Sokka says. “If you’d go over my master’s application one more time, and then help me submit it.”

“Sokka, I would love nothing more. Are you busy now? Let’s go to my office.”

Sokka follows Piandao to his office, where they go over Sokka’s application and portfolio, which he has with him in a fancy bag that his dad let him borrow. 

“Everything looks great to me,” Piandao says, flipping through the various pages. “Now, let’s get this submitted.”

Sokka takes a picture of the screen that says his application has been successfully submitted, and he sends it to his dad and Katara in their group chat. 

He also sends it to Zuko.

(After the texts and call on Friday, it seems like the floodgates of their conversations have opened up. They texted occasionally during the rest of the weekend, though they hadn’t called each other again. Their conversations had flowed easily, both of them managing to keep up a steady stream of messages until conversation naturally ended and a new topic was started. It was great.)

None of them respond right away, but that’s fine. Sokka is walking with Piandao again, this time to the office where he’s meant to turn in his portfolio. Piandao helps him with the process, even though it’s pretty simple. Sokka thinks he just wants to make sure Sokka actually does it and doesn’t chicken out. 

Application and portfolio now submitted, Sokka is told he’ll receive an answer on whether he’s been accepted or not by the end of May, giving them a two-week window. When they’re leaving the building, Piandao whispers to Sokka that he doesn’t need to stress about it.

(“Really, if they even  _ think  _ about denying you, I’ll threaten to quit. They’d be stupid to let you slip through the cracks.” 

Sokka has absolutely zero ideas on how to respond to that.)

Not even a week later, Sokka gets an email proclaiming his acceptance into the master’s program. Sokka might lose control a little bit, with some tears coming out, but he’s  _ so happy. _

Sokka doesn’t know what he did to deserve all this good luck recently, but he’s hoping it continues. 

(Maybe some of his good luck will run off on Zuko and things with his trial will go easy.)

* * *

The days leading up to the trial are a test in Zuko’s nerves, patience, and mental state. 

No, they really are. Zuko doesn’t think he’s ever felt so many different emotions in such a short span of time than he has now. What with the everpresent looming date, Azula coming to stay with him, Uncle calling or texting all the time to make sure they’re okay, dealing with his father contacting them, and going over everything so many times just to make sure they have everything they need, it’s a lot to process.

At least texting Sokka is a nice change of pace. 

They text on and off the week before the trial and Sokka’s finals. Inconsequential stuff, really. They just  _ talk _ , and it’s nice, and it works to distract both of them from their upcoming responsibilities. They text about school, and books, and TV shows, and music, and anything else that pops into their minds, and it’s  _ good. _ Zuko wishes they had exchanged numbers earlier. 

When Azula arrives at Zuko’s apartment on Thursday morning, they stop texting as often, mostly because Zuko feels awkward texting someone else around his sister, but also because once Azula shows up, things get  _ a little  _ out of hand, and Zuko has to focus on other things. 

***

Azula shows up at Zuko’s tiny apartment on Thursday afternoon. She had told their father that she was spending the day with Ty Lee, and to not expect her home until late that night, or even the next morning, hoping to give them a little bit of wiggle room. Ty Lee had picked her up from the house, further cementing Azula’s alibi, and dropped her off at Zuko’s. Ty Lee had jumped out of her car, given Zuko a quick, tight hug, mentioned she was going to be spending the rest of the week until the trial with one of her sisters out of town and her phone would probably be shut off, and then left with parting hugs for both of them. 

Zuko takes Azula’s bags and leads her up to his apartment, letting her in and letting her explore on her own. It’s a tiny one-bedroom/one-bathroom, with the kitchen and living room connected. It’s not a lot, but it’s cheap and all he needs anyway, but most importantly only Uncle and Azula (and now Ty Lee) know he has it. 

Azula takes her time looking around, even though it probably should only taker her around five minutes to look at everything. She looks through all of the rooms, examining the walls and looking out windows like she’s a wanted criminal on the run… which probably isn’t too far off from how she feels, actually. 

“A bit small,” she says, finally. “But I suppose it will do the job for a few days. How long have you been staying here, again?”

“A few months,” Zuko answers. “Since February.”

“You haven’t decorated much,” Azula notes. “And you hardly have any furniture. You’ve got a sofa, a coffee table, your bed, and a small bedside table. Your kitchen has more items than everything else in here combined.”

“Well, I was always kind of ready to leave at a moment’s notice in case father found out I was  _ here  _ and not with Uncle. I didn’t want to have to waste time packing up a bunch of things,” Zuko explains, shrugging. “By the way, you can take the bed. I washed the sheets and blankets, but if you still somehow think that boys have cooties, there’s a new set in the hall closet that you can use.”

“I’m not taking your bed, Zuko,” she says, matter of fact. 

“Well, I’m not letting you sleep on the sofa,” Zuko says back, matching her tone. “You’re a guest, you’re taking the bed.”

It turns into a staredown between the two of them, where Azula tries to wear him down, and Zuko just raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. It lasts a few minutes, because both of them are ridiculously stubborn, both of them just standing there and staring, not saying anything. Azula must decide that it’s not that big of a deal to fight over because she gives up with a deep sigh. 

“Fine,” she sighs out. “Take your covers, though. I’ll use the other ones.”

“Fine. You do know I don’t have cooties, though, right? Do we need to have a talk?” Zuko asks, blatantly teasing. 

“Zuko, if you even  _ try  _ to have a talk with me, I’m going straight back to father.” 

“Alright, alright,” he gives in. “No teasing. Are you hungry? The apartment might be tiny but I do have plenty of food.” 

They spend the rest of the day in a sort of awkward lull. They eat lunch, make small talk, sit in semi-awkward silence, and sit in  _ more awkward silence. _

Zuko needs to get some board games or something. 

“So,” Zuko says, breaking the silence they were in. They’re both sitting on the sofa, pretending to read, but Zuko knows that neither of them is paying any attention to the books in their laps. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Zuko, you don’t have a television,” Azula says like she’s spelling something out to a child.

“No, but I  _ do  _ have a laptop. Same thing, basically,” Zuko argues.

“I suppose it’ll be better than pretending to read this book,” Azula says, looking at said book in disdain. 

Zuko hums, going to grab his laptop.  _ Probably won’t be saying that after you watch the movie I’m about to put on _ , Zuko thinks. 

“I rented this one, and the rest of the movies in the series, so we have to watch all of them. I’ve been told it’s a ‘wonderful disaster’,” Zuko says, setting up his laptop on the coffee table in front of them.

“How many movies is it? And who told you that?”

“It’s five movies. And that boy I’ve been talking to.”

“Taking movie recommendations? This must be getting serious.”

Zuko tuts at her, “It’s not like that.”

“Are you sure? Because it seems like that, mister  _ sounds like a date _ ,” Azula teases.

“How about we make a deal right now to  _ never  _ talk about that again?” Zuko asks, a little desperately. “Besides, it doesn’t matter if it  _ is  _ like that for me, because it’s probably not like that for  _ him _ . He makes a good friend, I’m not gonna fuck that up just because I think he’s pretty and kind and smart.”

“There is nothing in this world you can offer me to forget the gay panic text I received from you in the middle of the night because of that,” Azula states. “But, I’m apparently watching a five movie disaster series because of this boy, you’d better ask him out eventually.”

“I’m not sure the movies will be a disaster, I’ve only watched the first one. And you literally can’t make me.”

“You’re making me watch a movie series that you’ve never seen before? We’re about to dedicate something like ten hours to these movies and you don’t know if they’re  _ good _ ?” Azula fires at him, and Zuko holds back a smirk at the pure indignation in her voice.

“That’s something we’ll have to find out together,” Zuko says airily. “It’ll be some nice sibling bonding.”

“If these movies suck, we’re going to get Monopoly tomorrow and I’m going to  _ destroy you. _ ”

“Deal.”

And with that, Zuko presses play on  _ Twilight. _

It’s safe to say Azula hated the first  _ Twilight  _ movie. Zuko had spent most of the movie holding back laughter at the looks on her face and her commentary, though he couldn’t hold back his laughter at some points. Azula had claimed she needed a break before watching the second movie, and had gone to take a shower while Zuko made them dinner. He’s stirring some vegetables around in a pan when he pulls out his phone and starts drafting a text.

_ Made my sister watch Twilight. She hated it. She’s declared a break before the second one so now I’m making dinner while she ‘washes off the disappointment’.  _ Is the text he sends to Sokka.

_ That’s incredible _ , is the reply he gets almost immediately.  _ So are you gonna watch new moon next? I need reactionary texts or calls or anything. I need to know. _

_ If all goes well, we’ll probably watch them all tonight. If they’re painful we’ll want to get them over with all at once. We’re not quitters in this family. _

_ May luck be on your side, Zuko. You’re in for a treat. I still want real time reactions though _

_ You’ll get real time reaction, I promise. _

Zuko adds the chicken from the oven to the vegetables along with some kind of sauce he had in his fridge, mixing it all together in the pan. Azula comes into the kitchen as he’s finishing, claiming her bowl of chicken and vegetables with a quiet thank you. Zuko doesn’t have a kitchen table, so they go back to the sofa to eat. 

“Alright, let’s start this second monstrosity,” Azula says, folding herself down onto the sofa. Zuko starts the second movie. 

(Zuko’s commentary to Sokka goes something like this:  _ That papercut was unrealistic.  _

_ Don’t tell me he’s breaking up with her IN THE WOODS.  _

_ I, too, would fall into a multi-month depression if my vampire boyfriend dumped me for no good reason in the middle of the woods.  _

_ Oh, so she’s an adrenaline junkie now? Also, the whole ‘Edward visions’ thing is kinda weird.  _

_ I feel like the imprinting thing is gonna be a Thing now, isn’t it? I don't like it. Seems icky. No consent to be found.  _

_ Hm, Edward kinda brought all this upon himself when he broke up with Bella IN THE WOODS. _

Sokka responds with his own comments occasionally, but mostly he responds with rows of laughing emojis. Zuko is pretty okay with that.)

If possible, Azula hates the second one even more than the first, and she’s a lot more violent and vocal about her issues with it. She’s making pretty compelling arguments, and Zuko agrees with almost all of what she’s saying. She raves for a little bit about how frustrating the movie was, before demanding he put on the third one. 

Zuko does. 

(Zuko’s commentary for this one is a bit more sparse, but mostly because he finds it kind of boring. 

_ Can’t believe Charlie is letting Bella see Edward after all that shit.  _

_ Please tell me Victoria is here to fuck shit up, the vamp action in the last movie was lame.  _

_ I, too, would create an army of newborn vampires if my boyfriend was killed by Edward fucking Cullen of all people.  _

_ Rosalie would have such a more interesting storyline than Bella and I’m not sorry about it.  _

_ Jasper… confederate soldier… oh no. don’t like that.  _

_ She… kissed Jacob… in front of Edward…. Why did she feel the need to do that when before she reacting by punching him in the face _

_ Yeah, I’m not here for this love triangle business and neither is my sister. We both rate this movie like 2/10 for the lack of consent and also lack of brain cells and also because Jasper was a confederate soldier. Let it be clear that the 2 points are for Rosalie’s backstory. _

Sokka responds to his commentary with equal part commiseration ranting as well as plenty of laughing emojis.)

Both Zuko’s and Azula’s commentary for the fourth movie is lacking in substance, but it’s  _ boring _ . The fifth and final movie has some more commentary, but none of it is good.

He ends up calling Sokka instead of texting him at one point though.

“Hello?” Sokka answers already laughing. 

“Jacob imprinted on the baby,” Zuko says as his greeting. “He…  _ imprinted on a baby _ . What the fuck?”

Sokka just laughs. 

“If this had any standing in reality,” Azula starts, “this man would not still be alive.”

“Hello, Zuko’s sister,” Sokka greets. “I agree with you. If this were anything other than fiction, the police wouldn’t have even been called, he would just cease to exist.”

“He gets it,” Azula says to Zuko. “This boy gets it, I approve.”

“Thank you,” Sokka says. 

“Bella’s dad is the chief of police,” Zuko says. “They can and  _ should _ call the police.”

“You’re thinking too small, Zuko,” Azula says. “Apparently, Bella has all this newborn vampire strength. She can use some of that newborn strength on the man who just _ imprinted _ on her newborn.”

“She gets it,” Sokka says. “You get it, mysterious sister, I like you.”

“Azula.”

“I like the way you think, Azula. I want you on my side if I ever have a problem that needs solving.”

Sokka stays on the phone while they finish the movie, listening to their commentary and occasionally making his own comments. When the movie is finally over, Zuko and Azula rant some more about their opinions on the series as a whole. Azula hates the lack of proper character development and the whole ‘changing yourself for a man’ undertones. Zuko mostly hates the fact that he spent money on this. 

Zuko says his goodbyes to Sokka, who makes sure to also say goodbye to Azula. (Zuko  _ does not  _ find that charming, he  _ doesn’t _ .) Zuko helps Azula change the bedsheets into the ones from the hall closet, taking the ones that were already on the bed out to the sofa for himself. He and Azula get ready for bed in silence, moving around each other in a slightly familiar way from when they were kids. They say goodnight and head to bed, Azula going into the bedroom and Zuko going to the sofa.

It’s the easiest Zuko has slept in a while. 

***

Shit starts to happen in the morning, because of course it does. 

Azula and Zuko are in the kitchen making breakfast when their father calls her for the first time. 

Azula does not answer. 

They wait in a tense silence while she lets the call ring out, staring at Azula’s phone on the counter. Zuko attempts to calmly finish making breakfast, but his fake calm breaks pretty quickly when Azula’s phone  _ dings  _ with an incoming message and Azula lets out a harsh breath after reading it. Her phone rings again, and Azula looks at it in trepidation. Zuko turns off the stove burner he’s using, moving the pan he was pushing some eggs around in to the back. 

He picks Azula’s phone up off the counter. 

“Zuko, what are you doing?” She asks tensely. 

“You already look stressed,” Zuko says. “Whatever shit he has to say to you, I’m sure he’s said worse to me. I’ll deal with it. You don’t need to hear it, or read it.” 

“So, you’re just going to what? Confiscate my phone?” Azula asks angrily. 

“If you really want to hear it, and read it, I’m not going to stop you,” Zuko says calmly. “I’ll give it right back to you, but I’d like to listen first. And I think we should take your phone to Uncle, too.” 

“I doubt father is going to find a way to trace my phone, Zuko. Give me my phone and let me listen to the messages he left.” 

“Well, I  _ wasn’t  _ worried about him tracing your phone, but now I kind of am. I was more thinking along the lines of Uncle being able to save the messages and voicemails as they come in, so we don’t have to rush to do it Sunday night before the trial,” Zuko says, handing her back her phone after some hesitation. 

“I’m going to ignore that that’s a logical plan,” Azula says, snatching the phone from him and pressing a few buttons, and then holding the phone up to her ear. Zuko can’t hear what’s being said, but he keeps a close eye on Azula’s face. For the most part, her face remains blank as she listens. 

She can’t quite hide the pain in her eyes, though. 

When she’s through with the messages, Azula clears her throat, avoiding Zuko’s gaze as she hands him back her phone. Zuko’s heart breaks a little. 

“Let’s go to Uncle’s then,” Azula says, leaving the kitchen. 

Zuko listens to the messages as soon as she’s gone. 

Listening to his father's voice is a little jarring. And hearing him speak so cruelly to Azula is even worse. He has half a mind to call his father and tell him off for daring to speak to his sister like that, but he knows that would only make things worse. 

Zuko pockets Azula’s phone, intent on keeping it with him until they get to Uncle’s and then goes to get ready. 

The drive to Uncle’s is made in tense silence. Azula is still angry and still hurt, and it comes through in her biting responses to him, so Zuko just keeps quiet. It doesn’t help that they can both hear her phone vibrating with calls from Zuko’s pocket. 

Uncle greets them happily, but quickly turns serious when they explain why they’re here. He takes Azula’s phone from Zuko, reading the texts that have been left. He offers Azula her phone, giving her the choice of reading and listening to what’s there. He asks her if she’s fine with him keeping her phone until the trial starts on Monday. 

Azula is quiet for a long moment while she stares at her phone in Uncle’s hand, looking between the phone, Uncle’s face, and Zuko’s. 

She doesn’t take her phone back, and she tells Uncle to keep it. 

(“He’d be a fool to try anything if he thinks you’re both here with me. I’d gladly kick anyone’s ass who tries to hurt my niece or nephew,” Uncle says with a smile. “I may be old, but that just means I have plenty of experience.”

Zuko’s pretty sure Azula blushes at being so casually included in being someone that Uncle would kick ass for, and Zuko tries his best to hide his proud and fond smile.)

They leave after Uncle has forced a few cups of tea in them, and has talked their ears off with idle chatter that works to calm Zuko down, but seems to just keep Azula tense. Uncle knows how to calm Zuko down by now, he’s had tons of practice with it. But neither of them knows how to properly calm Azula down yet, and Zuko has a feeling that  _ asking her  _ what to do to help will only make things worse. 

On the way back to Zuko’s apartment, Azula makes him stop at a Target, and they go inside and pick out a bunch of board games, Monopoly being one of them. Azula also grabs a few packages of fancy chocolate, and Zuko doesn’t say a word. 

Zuko buys them breakfast and coffee on the way back since whatever they had started cooking before they left was definitely bad by now. As soon as they get into Zuko’s apartment, Azula clears off the coffee table and starts setting up the Monopoly game. Zuko lets her do it in silence. 

“We’re going to play Monopoly, and I’m going to be exactly as vicious as I want, and you are going to lose,” Azula says (warns?). 

“I fully expected to lose anyway,” Zuko says easily. 

Prepared to lose as he may be, Zuko was not prepared to lose as  _ badly  _ as he had. He’d always thought that playing Monopoly had a bit of luck to do with it, even with the strategy that’s involved, but apparently luck means nothing when it comes to Azula. 

He had  _ park place  _ how did he lose so badly and so quickly? Zuko thought it was a general rule that whoever got park place had an edge on winning, but that is clearly not the case when Azula is in the picture. Zuko stares in shock as he lands on the electric company space, which Azula owns, and she wipes out the rest of his cash, putting him into debt. Wasn’t Monopoly supposed to take  _ hours _ to play? They’ve hardly been playing for two, what the fuck.

“Everybody always underestimates the utilities,” Azula says smugly, counting out the money Zuko handed her. “And it’s always the utilities that come to bite people in the ass. You’re short, by the way.”

“I have nothing else to give you,” Zuko deadpans. “Congratulations, you’ve bankrupted me.”

“Wonderful. Now admit defeat while you still have some dignity.”

“Yeah, yeah, you win I lose,” Zuko mumbles. Azula smiles smugly at him. 

Zuko decides they’re playing Scrabble next. 

(“Do you feel better?” he asks when they’re putting the game away. 

“A little, I think,” she answers. 

“I don’t know how to make you feel better when you get upset,” Zuko says quietly. “Uncle knows how to help me, and I know how to help myself, but neither of us knows how to help you. I’d like to, if you’re okay with that.”

“I’m not sure  _ I  _ know how to help me,” Azula says just as quietly.

“That’s okay,” Zuko assures. “You can do whatever you need to to figure it out. I can help you, or let you do it by yourself. Whatever you need.”

“I don’t even know how to start, but okay.”) 

For the rest of the weekend, the two of them stay holed up in Zuko’s apartment, alternating between playing board games and watching movies. Zuko beats Azula at Scrabble, citing his English degree. Azula takes that opportunity to ask him to rethink joining the business again (“English is an arts and humanities degree, isn’t it? You can be in charge of the people’s side of things, and I’ll be in charge of the business side of things. Scrabble and Monopoly working together.” “I told you, I’ll think about it and decide after this shit show is over.”). They both go absolutely crazy specific over the rules when they play Uno, going so far as to write them down so they have a reference sheet. (No stacking the plus cards, but stacking the skips is allowed, no stacking the reverses cause there’s only two of them playing and that makes it dumb, are just a few of the rules they come up with.) Where Monopoly and Scrabble brought out their best work, Uno brings out the worst in both of them. They get very competitive while playing Clue, but in a good way, kind of. They get sucked into it in a way the other games don’t let them, and it stimulates both of them, where the other games were more tailored to one or the other. They start coming up with proper motivations for their guesses, and it makes it… fun.

Sunday comes with Zuko and Azula going to Uncle’s so they can all go to the courthouse together in the morning. He, Uncle, and Azula spend the day going over everything they have one last time. They can’t be sure what exactly their father will pull to try to discredit them, so they try to prepare for everything. Azula has some ideas of what he might do, but even she’s not completely sure. 

The last-minute review and preparation seem to make Azula and Uncle more confident, and while Zuko definitely feels prepared, he can’t help but be nervous. He knows that with Uncle and Azula all working together they’re bound to put up one hell of a fight. Still, Zuko knows firsthand how determined and manipulative his father can be, so there’s still a small part of him that’s afraid of how this will turn out. 

They all try to go to sleep early seeing as they have to be awake and ready early. Zuko has to practically force Azula to take the bed again, but he wins their standoff for the second time. Uncle might laugh at them for being so stubborn, but Zuko is taking these two wins with pride. 

Zuko’s laying on Uncle’s sofa, which is a lot more comfortable than his own, actually, and trying to sleep, but he’s finding it difficult. So, he does what he finds himself doing a lot lately. 

He texts Sokka.

_ Hey, are you awake? _

_ I am _ , he gets as a response less than a minute later.  _ How are you feeling? I thought about texting you but I didn’t want to be a bother.  _

_ You wouldn’t have been a bother, I promise.  _ Zuko responds immediately.  _ But, I don’t know, I feel nervous and scared, but also kind of resigned? I guess? Like, I know we’re as prepared as can be and I know that with my Uncle and Azula things have a good chance of going well, but I’m still nervous.  _

_ And you have every right to be. Obviously I don’t know everything, but I can pick up on context clues, and your dad seems like the biggest piece of shit on this planet. Also, I only talked to your sister a little bit, but she seems vicious so your dad better watch his back  _

The bluntness of that statement startles a laugh out of Zuko, making him feel a little lighter. 

_ She can definitely be vicious when she wants to, but I think that’ll work to my advantage for once. I think what I’m most nervous about is seeing my dad again. _

_ But you’ll have your uncle and your sister there with you. You won’t be going into this alone. You’ve got people on your side that are gonna help you fight  _

_ Yeah, I’m trying to remember that.  _

They text for a little bit longer, Sokka trying to comfort Zuko however he can before they start talking about anything else as a distraction. The mindless conversation lulls Zuko’s mind and he finally feels like he’ll be able to sleep. 

***

The first day of the trial is a fucking mess. 

They arrive bright and early on Monday morning, and are quickly ushered inside the building and away from prying eyes. The lawyer briefs them quickly before they enter the courtroom, and without any further delays, the trial starts. 

Uncle, Azula, Zuko, and their lawyer make an organized team, all standing together waiting for Ozai and his team to enter the room next. When Ozai does enter, he takes one look around the room, sees Azula standing tall and proud in between Uncle and Zuko, and something in him must snap. He rushes forward, spouting a bunch of bullshit about how she’s betrayed him and hurt him, and how he never expected her to drop so low. His team quickly pulls him back, but in the few seconds that he had stridden forward unchecked, the courtroom security guards had also rushed forward, Zuko had taken ahold of Azula’s arm, ready to pull her behind him if he had gotten too close, and Uncle had stepped forward as if to ward off Ozai himself. 

Ozai is escorted out into the hall, where he’s probably being scolded by security and told to get himself together by his team. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko sees the judge talking quietly with a security guard and he has no idea if that’s good or bad. Azula is standing in shock next to him, and Zuko steps closer to her. He loosens his grip on her, but keeps a hand on her arm. 

“Azula, are you okay?” he whispers to her, already knowing she’s not okay but he has to say  _ something _ . 

“He’s just sealed his fate,” Azula whispers back. “If he thought I would just take that lying down, he’s got another thing coming.”

“Okay, so we take him down,” Zuko says, not liking the blank look on her face. “I’m with you, I promise. But look at me, please.”

“What, Zuko.” she snaps, turning to face him. Zuko takes a deep breath and refuses to let go of her hand.

“Take a breath with me,” he requests. “We’re gonna do this. We’re going to go up there, and we’re going to say our pieces, and we’re going to prove that he does not deserve to call himself  _ either  _ of our fathers. And we’re going to do it together.”

“Look at you, being all tough all of a sudden,” Azula snarks at him, but she does breathe with him.

“I will admit, there are few things that make me angrier than when he thinks he can treat you like shit. I don’t give a fuck what he does to me; I’m used to it and it hardly hurts anymore. But it hurts  _ you,  _ and I don’t like that.”

“I’m not some damsel you need to take care of, Zuzu. I’m more than capable of doing this without you encouraging me.”

“Oh, I know, trust me. You’re gonna go up there and fuck him up so badly he won’t even be able to  _ think  _ of defending himself. What I have to say probably won’t even matter that much in the end with how fully you’re going to be able to convince them. And without you here I wouldn’t be nearly as confident in anything. What I’m trying to say is that I’m by your side.”

Azula’s face isn’t quite as blank anymore, but now Zuko can see just how angry and upset she is. Zuko squeezes the hand that he still has a hold of and stops talking for now. He doesn’t think that saying anything more will help her feel better, so he leaves her be. 

She doesn’t respond to him anymore either, but she also doesn’t pull her hand away. 

They sit there for an hour longer, waiting to see what’s going to happen. Zuko can tell when Azula has finally calmed herself down, because her body fully relaxes, and she pulls her hand away from him. Ozai is finally allowed back in the room more than an hour later, and he walks in with an air of anger and pompousness about him. He tries to make eye contact with Azula but she refuses to look at him. He turns his gaze to Zuko, who only looks back at him for a second before turning his own gaze away as well. 

He attempts to apologize for his outburst, trying to spin it in a way that makes him look like a father who was just betrayed by both of his children. It doesn’t hit as well as he probably thought it would, as his anger still bleeds through and no one in the room looks quite convinced. 

Neither does the judge, for that matter, who quickly shuts Ozai down and tells them to get started seeing as they’ve already wasted enough time for the day. Azula and Zuko share a look; Azula sends him a sly smirk and Zuko feels his own lips twitch in response. 

The rest of the first day consists of going over the charges and debating them. Ozai’s team tries to argue that the charges are ridiculous, while their lawyer tries to appeal to a more emotional side with some logic brought in. 

(“Tell me, why would two children desire so badly to be away from their father enough that they feel the need to bring legality into it?”

“Because these children are trying to make their father look bad by soiling his good name.”

“Really, because it seems to me that these children are  _ afraid  _ of that man who calls himself their father enough that they were willing to bear the scrutiny that this trial demands.”) 

Their respective lawyers argue for a few hours, with occasional interjections from the judge. 

In the end, the judge decides that none of the charges will be dropped until evidence is heard for all of them, and he can decide which claims are valid and which aren’t. 

They have their first success.

The court is dismissed for the day and Ozai storms out, his team following closely behind. They wait until the courtroom is mostly empty and Ozai is definitely gone to leave the building. 

They head back to Uncle’s house to regroup and go over the day. The lawyer says it’s good that the charges have all stayed; it means the judge is willing to hear them out. He also says that however hurtful and disturbing Ozai’s initial outburst was, it bodes well for them and makes him look bad. They briefly go over what to expect for tomorrow, that they’ll start going over the harassment charges, and present the evidence for that. Depending on how that goes, they may move on, but it’s likely that’s all they’ll be able to cover. 

Zuko’s not really looking forward to it, but he forces himself to stay calm for now. He can freak out after all this is over. 

***

Day two is indeed not fun. 

They are indeed going over Zuko’s initial harassment charges, which means he has to go up to the front of the room and give his piece. He goes over everything since he moved out at eighteen; how as soon as he left his father was harassing him, sending him awful messages and calls, and how it just progressed as the years went on. Zuko’s lawyer plays some of the worst voicemails that had been left, and Zuko tries his hardest to stop himself from reacting. He’d been told that showing how this all affected him was fine, encouraged even, but Zuko doesn’t want his father to see how badly all this shit affected him. Regardless, he can’t stop a few of the flinches, especially when some of the text messages and letters get read out. 

Just because it’s the lawyer repeating them and not Ozai himself doesn’t really help. 

It takes a long time, but Zuko gets through his part, and he’s feeling slightly okay about it. Then, he has to deal with the cross-examination. 

His father’s lawyers try everything they can to poke holes in what Zuko’s said, asking him questions that leave him flustered and confused, trying to get him to contradict himself. More than once Zuko’s own lawyer steps in and has the judge make them repeat the questions more clearly, since it’s obvious they’re trying to confuse him. It leaves Zuko a little shaken, and he hates the smug look on his father’s face. When it’s all over, he’s finally allowed to go sit back down, and he stands on shaky legs and makes his way back over to sit between Uncle and Azula. 

Uncle puts a grounding hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Uncle gives him a small nod before turning back to listen to whatever statement their lawyer is making now, Zuko’s not sure.

“You did good,” Azula whispers to him. “They were being very tricky, but you didn’t let them make you say something you didn’t mean.”

“Thanks,” Zuko whispers back. 

A few minutes later, Azula is nudging Zuko’s shoulder before she gets up for her turn. Next is Azula’s turn up there, where if Zuko’s understanding right, she’ll be corroborating what Zuko’s said, confirming that she knew Ozai was essentially stalking Zuko and sending him those messages.

In Zuko’s opinion, Azula does a much better job at the whole questioning thing than Zuko had done. She says her piece clearly and confidently, and she doesn’t let anything shake her. When she’s dealing with their father’s lawyers, she stays cool, taking her time to answer the confusing questions, not letting them get to her. Their lawyer still steps in from time to time to cut off a blatantly misleading question here and there. It’s when they try to get Azula to admit that some of the things were her idea, which she vehemently denies, some of her anger finally coming out, the judge interrupting when it’s clear they’re trying to entrap her in something. 

Azula’s questioning ends, and it’s obvious that she’s forcing herself to stay calm as she walks back to her seat, avoiding all eye contact with their father’s side of the room. When she sits down, she scoots closer to Zuko, and Zuko takes her hand in his. When their lawyer goes up to make his closing statement, Azula leans over to whisper to him.

“None of what he did was ever my idea, Zuko, I promise,” Azula whispers. 

“I believe you,” Zuko whispers back, looking right back at her. 

Azula takes a deep breath, some of the stress clearing from her eyes. “Thank you,” she mouths back at him, turning back face the front. 

He knows it’s a pipe dream, but Zuko desperately hopes tomorrow will be better.

***

Zuko has jinxed himself. Day three of the trial is going to be his worst day by far. Possibly one of the worst days of his life.

Because as soon as they enter the courthouse, Zuko is informed that today’s objective is to go over the child abuse charges. Which means that Zuko is going to have to go up there and recount to his family, the judge, his father, his father’s team, and everyone else in the room how he got his scar and the multitude of other times his father hurt him. 

Just wonderful. Not at all harmful to his already fucked up mental state. Exactly what he needed in his life. 

Uncle attempts to give him a pep talk, telling him that everything is going to be fine and they’ll both be there for him after this is over. Azula blatantly tells him it’s going to suck, and their father’s lawyers are probably going to be extra hard on him to try and make him crack, but that she’s going up there after him and she’s going for blood so Zuko doesn’t need to worry. 

Strangely enough, Zuko prefers Azula’s pep talk. 

Zuko tries to hype himself up during the opening statements, telling himself that he just has to do this one thing, and then most, if not all, of his involvement in this trial will be done and over with. He tells himself that he needs to do this. He needs to go up there and say what happened and how his father treated him with confidence. He cannot let his father have this. He cannot let him continue to have control over him like this. Zuko needs to go up there and speak his mind about how his father has treated him.

Zuko’s little pep talk goes a long way to giving him some confidence in what he’s about to do. 

Zuko walks confidently to the front of the room, taking his place in the front. Zuko does not shy away from his father’s stare, but he meets it head-on. 

Recounting his trauma isn’t exactly easy, but Zuko makes himself speak clearly and concisely, not letting himself stutter over his words or get quiet. Zuko tells them about how his father called him into the kitchen one day and started an argument with him. How when he talked back his father pushed him onto the floor, held him down, and poured a boiling pot of water on him. He looks straight ahead the entire time, not flinching or hesitating even once when his father starts making faces, rolling his eyes, and whispering things to the people beside him. Zuko’s lawyer presents his medical records, including the ones from his burn. He’s asked about the aftermath, and Zuko tells them about how his father refused to take him to the hospital and refused to even let him bandage it up.

His cross-questioning is brutal. They try to get Zuko to admit that he’s lying, that what he said in his hospital report is what actually happened, even though the hospital report itself says that it didn’t seem likely. They try to get Zuko to admit that he provoked his father, as if that would ever make it okay. They try to get him to say that his father was justified in punishing him, that Zuko deserved it. 

Zuko doesn’t let himself back down, and he looks his father straight in the eye when he says his father is an abuser. 

After a few final questions, Zuko is finally free to go back to his seat. He does so quickly, not letting himself falter on his way. He sits down in his place in between Azula and Uncle, and he only lets himself relax a little then. Uncle puts his arm around the back of Zuko’s chair, and Zuko feels more grounded with the warmth he can feel surrounding him. Azula nudges him, giving him a nod, and a quick squeeze of the hand before she goes up to take the hot seat next. 

Azula’s statement is kind of hard to listen to since she’s going over that damned list she made of their fathers less than stellar moments. She does it confidently, going into just enough detail without making things too graphic, probably to offset the horrificness of what Zuko had just said. If possible, her cross-questioning is more vicious than Zuko’s. They try to pick apart every instance, say that it must be fabricated because there’s no way that there could be that much. 

The men his father has hired have greatly underestimated Azula because she was certainly not kidding when she said she was going for blood. 

“It  _ does _ seem ridiculous that there are so many instances of our father mistreating us, doesn’t it?” Azula asks, all sickly-sweet and sharp smiles. “Which is why I’m struggling to believe that after listening to my older brother recount the worst day of his life, in which our father scarred  _ his face _ , and just now listening to me recount time after time of him treating us like garbage, that you  _ still  _ believe that man might be a good one.” 

“That man is your father, young lady.”

“That man has never acted like a father, and he’s certainly never treated me like a daughter or Zuko like a son. Have you not been paying attention this entire time?” 

“I think I’ve heard enough,” the judge interrupts. “Azula, back to your seat, please. And you men get ahold of yourselves.” 

Azula walks back to her seat, sitting down next to Zuko with an almost regal air about her. 

Zuko wants to be shocked by how impressed he is, but he didn’t expect any less from her. 

“Ozai, your response,” the judge sighs, motioning for Ozai to take the seat up front now.

For a quick second, Zuko is a little nervous for what’s about to happen. But then, their lawyer clears his throat, stands up, and  _ unbuttons  _ his suit jacket. Zuko has come to learn that that means a lot of wild gesturing and hands on hips is about to happen. 

Zuko’s kind of excited to see what’s going to happen next.

Ozai gets absolutely torn about by their lawyer, and it might be the happiest Zuko’s been in a while. He has Ozai recount the day Zuko got his burn from his perspective, which Ozai does much too confidently for how he’s about to get wrecked. His lawyer starts questioning Ozai on where exactly he was if he wasn’t supervising his young children in the kitchen, and why he never took Zuko to the hospital. Not only that but he also starts questioning some of Zuko’s other injuries that the hospital has deemed questionable. Ozai tries to defend himself, but the story he’s come up with has plenty of holes in it, or just makes him look like a negligent parent. 

Things are not looking good for him. 

Day three of the trial ends with things looking very well for Zuko and Azula, and not so good for Ozai. 

It’s a good feeling. 

***

Day four comes with more of a focus on Azula that none of them really expected. 

Ozai’s team seems to have realized that they’re not going to get anywhere with Zuko, and have decided to try and take Azula down with Ozai. 

Like hell that was going to happen, but it was brave of them to try. 

They try to get Azula to admit that she’s only there to make Ozai look bad so she can take control of the business (which, to be fair, is one reason, but Azula will never admit that). They try to get her to admit to conspiring with Ozai against Zuko and their uncle, that she helped keep tabs on Zuko and even encouraged some of the messages he sent. They try to implicate her in some of the bad business practices as well, but all that really does is prove that Ozai  _ had  _ bad business practices in the first place.

Azula responds by going into how she’s been manipulated and encouraged to be ruthless by their father. She goes into how she and Zuko were always pitted against each other as kids and how she was always the favorite. She says that at some point she saw how badly Zuko was being treated and was so afraid of being treated like that herself, that she did whatever their father wanted to keep it from happening. 

(Zuko has no idea how much of what she says is actually true, and how much is exaggerated to make their father look worse, but either way, it works.)

Day four ends with Ozai practically fuming and Azula holding back a smirk. 

***

The beginning of day five starts with them waiting to be let into the courtroom. Today is when they make their final statements, and then the judge will decide a sentence. 

It’s more nervewracking than anything Zuko’s done before. And yes, he understands the irony of him having said that a lot this past week. 

In an attempt to distract himself, Zuko pulls out his phone to text Sokka. They’ve been texting and calling on and off this past week, with Zuko sending him updates of the trial (as much as he could stand to), and Sokka responding with how his finals went. Normally, Zuko would worry about texting Sokka so early, but today is Friday and Sokka finished his last final yesterday. 

_ Today’s the last day of the trial. We’ll have an answer by the end of today.  _ Zuko sends. 

He gets a response nearly immediately. 

_ Hey, I’m confident everything will work out. From what you’ve said and from what your sister has yelled when we’ve been on the phone, it seems like you guys have more than a fair shot. And if things somehow go to hell, you just say the word and I’ll show up with plenty of alcohol and so bad they’re good movies.  _

_ For the record, I don’t expect things to go to hell. I’m positive things will work out.  _

“Who are you texting, Zuko?” Azula asks, coming up from behind him. 

“No one,” Zuko says, pocketing his phone quickly. 

“I wouldn’t be that boy, would it?” She teases.

“What boy?” Uncle asks while Zuko groans. 

“It’s nothing, Uncle,” Zuko says, but Uncle has a light in his eyes as he turns to Azula. 

“You’d better not leave him without a response, Zuzu. We have to go inside in a few minutes, and  _ I  _ have to fill Uncle in on this boy. I do approve of him, after all,” Azula continues to tease.

“You do?” Uncle asks in shock, and Zuko groans again. Azula laughs at him, and walks over to Uncle, starting to whisper in his ear. Regardless, Zuko pulls out his phone to text Sokka again. 

_ Thank you. I have to go now, we have to go in soon. I’ll text you later.  _

_ Good luck.  _ Sokka responds quickly, and Zuko smiles before he pockets his phone again. 

***

_ Holy fucking shit. Holy fucking shit, I can’t believe that just happened. Oh, my god.  _ Zuko thinks frantically as they leave the courthouse.

They won. Zuko, Azula, and Uncle won. Ozai has been criminally charged with child abuse and added charges of stalking, harassment, borderline death threats. Not only that, but while Ozai is being held in prison, and an internal investigation into the business is set to be conducted after Azula let slip some illegal business practices being performed. 

Ozai is  _ being held in prison and more charges are on the way. _

Holy shit. 

Zuko can hardly think, he’s so happy and shocked, he’s in disbelief. If it weren’t for Uncle and Azula celebrating by his side, he wouldn’t believe it happened at all. He feels like he’s on cloud nine and only Uncle ushering him and Azula into a car and driving them back to his house is keeping him grounded. 

In a daze, Zuko pulls out his phone. 

_ We won,  _ he sends to Sokka.  _ My dad is being sent to prison as we speak and more charges are set to come soon. We won I can hardly believe it.  _

_ Zuko! Oh my god, that’s amazing! I’m so happy and proud of you!! _

_ We’re on the way back to my uncle’s now, I’ll call you later. My hands are shaking I can hardly type oh my god  _

_ I will await your call _

When they get back to Uncle’s, they spend some time together in the living room, basking in their win. It’s still early afternoon, but Uncle orders takeout and they eat together on the floor of the living room, and Zuko has never felt more at peace. Zuko flops down onto the floor, letting out a huge sigh and laughing softly.

“I can’t believe it’s  _ over, _ ” Zuko says.

“Believe it, brother,” Azula says cockily. “And you couldn’t have done it without me.”

“Absolutely not,” Zuko agrees easily. “You were amazing. You brought us to another level. I love you.”

“I think you might be high on endorphins, Zuzu.”

“Perhaps,” Zuko agrees. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I love you.”

“Wonderful,” Azula says, even though she’s clearly uncomfortable. “Does that mean you’ll take my offer to come work with me in the business?”

“How about I make you a deal?” Zuko says. “Once whatever investigation that takes place is done, I’ll come and do a sort of trial run, see how I like it.”

“You know what? I’ll take it. I’d also like to add to the deal that you ask that boy out.”

“Azula,” Zuko groans. Uncle laughs at him and Azula looks way too smug. 

“Sorry, Zuzu, but don’t you think that would be the perfect way to end all this?”

“Azula, you’re playing off the fact that I feel like I’m on cloud nine right now and I don’t appreciate it.”

“I think this would be the perfect time to try and get a boyfriend,” Uncle cuts in. 

“Uncle, not you too,” Zuko groans. 

They both laugh at him again, but Uncle mercifully changes the subject to something else. Zuko lays there for a while longer, content to listen to their conversation without quite joining in. He does do some thinking though, wondering how badly it could really go to ask Sokka to meet, preferably in the daylight for once, and like an actual date. 

He decides it couldn’t really hurt. 

Maybe it’s the high of the trial win, or the thought that he’ll most likely  _ never  _ have to see his father again, or the feeling that he and Azula are on a good track to mend their relationship, or the desire to see just how much more beautiful Sokka is in the sunlight when he’s already perfect in the moonlight, or some combination of all of those feelings that are coursing through his body, but Zuko decides that a possible rejection is worth it. 

He stays in the living room with his family until Azula yawns and declares that she’s going to take a  _ finally stress-free  _ nap. Uncle offers Zuko his bedroom to take one as well, and for once, Zuko accepts the offer, thinking some privacy might do him good for what he’s about to do. 

Zuko closes the door to Uncle’s room, plopping himself down on the bed, comforted by the familiar smell that surrounds him. 

Zuko takes out his phone. 

* * *

Sokka’s phone rings around two in the afternoon, and when he looks down to see that’s it’s Zuko, Sokka practically runs to his room to get some privacy. 

“Hello?” He answers, a little breathless. 

“Hi,” Zuko’s voice comes through, deep and kind of scratchy, but also a little breathlessly. 

“How are things going? How are you doing?” Sokka asks. He’s been on pins and needles all week waiting for any contact from Zuko about how things are going. He’d been practically jumping at his phone any time it made a noise on the off chance it was Zuko, even though the other boy had warned him that he probably wouldn’t be texting him often. 

That didn’t stop him from doing it though, and throughout the week, Sokka kept dying a little on the inside, listening to the obvious pain in Zuko’s voice as the trial had progressed. He’d done what he could to make Zuko feel better, but he had no idea if any of it had worked. 

“I’m doing great,” Zuko responds. “Better than great, I think. I don’t think it’s set in yet, doesn’t really feel real.” 

“It’s real,” Sokka says. “I’m sure Azula would love to pinch you if you think you’re dreaming.” 

“God, she would, too,” Zuko mumbles and Sokka laughs softly. 

“It feels almost too good to be true,” Zuko continues. “But I know it’s real. I’ve got legal papers and everything to prove it. I never have to worry about my dad again.”

“Damn right,” Sokka says fiercely. “I’m really happy for you, you know? And proud, too. What was it you were saying to me once about bravery? That it’s being afraid to do something, but doing it anyway? You’ve been really brave to do all this and face it head-on.”

“You can’t use my own words against me,” Zuko claims, but he sounds like he’s smiling. 

“I absolutely can,” Sokka says. “You were nervous and scared to do this, and for good reason, too. But you did it anyway, and you faced it all head-on, and you didn’t let that sorry excuse of a man get to you. You were very brave.”

“Thanks,” Zuko says, and then Sokka hears him mumble something that sounds like, “Maybe I can do one more brave thing today.”

“What was that?” Sokka asks. “I didn’t catch it.”

“Can I ask you something?” Zuko asks more clearly.

“Sure,” Sokka says confused.

“I was wondering if you’d like to meet up sometime? Like during the day, instead of the middle of the night in a McDonald’s parking lot?”

“And ruin our streak of midnight breakdown meetings? How bold of you, Zuko,” Sokka teases. He doesn’t want to make it seem like he doesn’t want too, though, because Sokka really does, so he keeps talking. 

“Of course,” Sokka keeps talking quickly. “Name a time and place and I’ll be there.”

_ Fuck, now that sounds kind of desperate,  _ Sokka thinks, smacking a hand to his forehead. 

“Um, that’s not really all I wanted to ask,” Zuko says haltingly.

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“I was wondering if maybe you’d like to meet up during the day, like, as in a date? Maybe? If you’d want something like that?” Zuko hurries out, sounding nervous and breathless.

Sokka cannot believe what he’s just heard.  _ Holy shit, I just got asked out on a date. By Zuko.  _

Sokka doesn’t realize he’s just sitting there in silence until he hears Zuko’s soft and insecure sounding, “Sokka? Are you still there?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m here! I would really like that, actually,” Sokka hurries out.

“Really? You would?”

“Absolutely,” Sokka confirms. “To be honest, I’ve been debating asking you, too.”

“Well, I’m glad I asked, then,” Zuko says softly.

“I’ll be expecting us both to wear something other than pajamas,” Sokka jokes. 

“Oh, my god, we’ve never seen each other in anything other than pajamas. And mid-breakdown, at that,” Zuko says, sounding shocked. 

“No, we have not,” Sokka confirms. “It might be weird to see you in anything other than sweats and those pajama pants you have with the baby animals.”

“Hey, that was a rough night,” Zuko defends. “But don’t expect anything too fancy. I’ve been wearing nothing but suits all week. I’m not planning on wearing another one anytime soon.”

“Alright,” Sokka agrees easily. “Nothing fancy enough that would require a suit. Should we have our first date at McDonald’s?”

“Sokka, I really want to go out on a date with you, but we cannot have our first date at McDonald’s,” Zuko says. 

“Ah, fine. There goes our lifetime supply of free nuggets for when we inevitably sell our story to the press.”

“How about something simple?” Zuko asks, seemingly already a pro after a few weeks of talking at steamrolling right past Sokka’s purposefully strange comments. “Maybe we switch it up and get breakfast instead of a midnight breakdown snack?”

“I would love that,” Sokka says. “Like I said earlier, name a time and place, and I’ll be there.”

“Yeah?” Zuko asks, voice hopeful.

“Yes,” Sokka confirms, his voice bright and happy. “Sounds like a date.” 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, we've reached the end! I have grown ridiculously attached to this fic, so this is kind of bittersweet. Thank you so much to everyone who's read along, left a kudos, or a comment, it's meant the world to me, seriously. You're all so sweet and kind, and the response to this has been more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> (Also, my fic my rules, Oza* does not get speaking lines because I said so 😊)
> 
> (Also, please assume that at some point a few years into their relationship, Sokka does indeed send a letter to some McDonald's CEO thanking them for inadvertently getting them together, and Sokka does indeed receive coupons for free nuggets because THAT'S some good promo McD's right there.)


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some first date nerves, Sokka bonding with his dad, Zuko's first day of work, and one last McDonald's run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is very little plot here, this is mainly just some extra scenes I couldn't get out of my head and decided to write down lol. 
> 
> Not beta-read, so any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

Zuko’s not afraid to admit he’s a little bit nervous for this date. 

He’s gotten comfortable talking to Sokka, and he’s sure that feeling would translate to talking in person as well if this was a normal friend hang out. The thing is, it’s not a normal friend hang out. It’s not two guys just hanging out, getting food, and doing whoever else knows what completely platonically. 

It’s a date, and there’s nothing platonic about how he feels for Sokka at all. The opposite, actually, considering he’d really like to kiss Sokka if he gets the chance. 

The nervousness he’s feeling isn’t  _ bad, _ though. Like, he doesn’t feel overwhelmed with anxiety, he doesn’t feel sick to his stomach, he doesn’t feel like everything is going to go to shit. He feels… excited, almost. He feels a little bit of added pressure because this is a  _ date,  _ but he doesn’t feel like he needs to pretend to be anything other than himself. 

Said date is tomorrow morning and Zuko is currently staring at his closet in dismay, trying to figure out what he’s going to wear. Sokka had kept making jokes about this being the first time they’ll see each other in anything other than pajamas, and while Zuko had found it amusing at the time, he’s now looking at his dismal wardrobe and cursing his lack of fashion sense because he wants to look  _ good  _ damn it.

Why does he have so many plain black and red t-shirts? And when did he get so many embarrassing graphic tees and band shirts? He doesn’t even  _ listen  _ to Led Zeppelin, so why does he have a Led Zeppelin shirt? And would a t-shirt even be appropriate for a date? They’re only going for breakfast, so he shouldn’t need to wear anything  _ too _ nice right? Should he wear one of his nice jackets over a t-shirt? But then again, it’s also the beginning of June, so the weather is pretty warm for a jacket. Should he sacrifice comfort for aesthetics? He has a jean jacket, and with his one white tee and a pair of jeans that wouldn’t look too bad, right? Or was that too basic? 

Zuko genuinely has no idea. He’s never tried this hard to pick out an outfit for a date before. 

(Granted, he’s only ever seriously dated Mai before, and she hadn’t really cared how he looked, but still.)

Zuko considers calling someone for advice, but his list of people to call is desperately small. Uncle would try to help him, but Zuko remembers how he’s tried to dress Zuko before and he’s not going to risk that. Azula would just laugh at him, and rightfully so. Mai would probably tell him to wear something he feels comfortable in, but otherwise probably have no advice. Ty Lee would probably try to help, but she’d also try to get him to wear as much color as possible and squeal the whole time. 

Zuko lays out the jean jacket, the white tee, and a pair of black jeans on his bed, snaps a picture, and sends it to Ty Lee with the caption  _ ‘I have a breakfast date tomorrow. Thoughts?’ _

He almost immediately regrets it. 

Ty Lee doesn’t call him, which he’s thankful for, but she does text back with a lot of exclamation points, and Zuko can  _ hear her  _ as he reads the text. 

_ Ahhh, so exciting! It’s a good outfit!! Solid, classic, and stylish! You’ll look great!! Who’s the girl? Guy? Other delightful non-binary individual? Tell meeeee! _

_ Ask Azula, this was all her idea anyway. Thank you for the outfit approval. _

She sends him back a sad face, which he ignores, but he feels a little bit more secure. Maybe he’ll text Ty Lee first to tell her how the date went just so she can hold that over Azula. 

***

Sokka may be a bit nervous about his date with Zuko tomorrow. 

Okay, there’s no maybe about it, he’s for sure a little nervous. Not about spending time with Zuko per se; Sokka knows he and Zuko get along really well and so far haven’t had any trouble keeping conversation between them flowing. He knows they have a lot of mutual interests, he knows they both respect each other, he knows they’ve built a solid friendship that’s not just based on their mutual breakdowns but has been built up by all the other talking they’ve done. But most importantly, he knows they both like each other.

There’s no real reason to be nervous, but Sokka has butterflies anyway. Nothing too intense, in fact, Sokka’s pretty sure it’s nervous  _ excitement  _ that’s making his stomach flutter, and he thinks that’s normal. 

He’s still gonna ask Katara what he should wear, though. 

“How do you simultaneously have  _ so many clothes yet nothing to wear _ ,” Katara exclaims from where she’s currently rifling through his closet. 

“I don’t know,” Sokka groans. He had given up defending himself after the fourth ‘was supposed to be ironic when he bought it but now he unironically loves it’ shirt that she pulled out. Now, he’s just sitting back on his bed and letting Katara rip his wardrobe to shreds. 

“You have  _ so much blue. _ I know it’s a good color,  _ I  _ have a fair amount of blue. But almost every other shirt you have is either a graphic tee or something ridiculous.”

“Katara,” Sokka whines. “ _ I know.  _ That’s why I need help.”

“Okay, you have a few choices,” Katara says, pulling out some shirts. “We’re gonna go mostly casual, since this is a breakfast date, and you two are going to that diner by the movie theater. If you wear one of the nice long sleeve shirts you have, you don’t have to worry about adding a jacket, and if it gets warm you can push up the sleeves and it’ll still look nice. If you wear a regular t-shirt, you can add a jacket to make it look less casual, but then you might get warm, since it’s, ya know, June. So short or long?”

“I don’t know? Long, I guess? You made that sound nicer,” Sokka says in confusion. 

“Okay, so you have a blue one, shocker,” Katara says, turning back to the closet and pulling out all the shirts she deems appropriate. “Wow, you really bought every color of this shirt, huh? Okay. So you have blue, red, green, and black. Before we pick a shirt, we need to figure out what bottoms you’re gonna wear.”

“Why is this so complicated?” Sokka groans, burying his face in one of his pillows. “Jeans? I guess?”

“Black or blue?”

“What do you think I should wear?”

“I think we’re gonna go simple,” Katara decides. “Wear the blue shirt and the black jeans, the ripped ones if you’re feeling extra. We need to take you shopping.”

“All of that stress and you decide on an outfit I could’ve picked myself?” Sokka asks in disbelief. 

“Yup.”

***

Zuko is waiting outside of the diner for Sokka, who should be there in a few minutes. Zuko had texted him when he got here, and Sokka had responded that he was trying to find parking, and that if he wanted, Zuko could wait so they could go in together. So, Zuko is waiting. 

He’s kind of really excited. 

Sure enough, a few minutes later Zuko spots Sokka walking towards him. Zuko can already feel a smile trying to work its way onto his face. The closer Sokka gets, the more clearly Zuko can see him, and Zuko is almost taken aback by how  _ good  _ Sokka looks in the daylight. 

He already looked good in pajamas and now in a date outfit? Unfair. Zuko shouldn’t be expected to handle this. 

“Hey,” Sokka says once he gets within speaking distance. 

“Hey,” Zuko says back, and then gasps a little when Sokka pulls him into a quick hug. 

“Sorry, if that was weird,” he says, already pulling back before Zuko can really wrap his head around anything. “I’m kind of a touchy guy, and I felt like you might need a hug after the past few weeks.”

“Not weird,” Zuko assures because he kind of wants another hug that won’t catch him off guard. “I don’t mind. It was appreciated.”

“Good,” Sokka says through a smile, and then Zuko catches him running his eyes up and down Zuko, who blushes a little. “Wow, you  _ do  _ look different in day clothes than pajamas.”

“Is that a good thing?” Zuko asks cautiously, a little self-conscious. 

“Yes! Very good. You look good,” Sokka says enthusiastically. 

“Thanks,” Zuko says, definitely blushing now. “You look good, too. By the way.”

“Thank you,” Sokka moves a bit closer to Zuko, getting more into his space. “Wanna go in now?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Zuko agrees, letting Sokka lead the way inside. 

Zuko has a feeling he might have to end up calling Ty Lee to gush about this date instead of texting. 

* * *

Right before he starts working for Teo’s father at Northern Air, Sokka spends the day with his dad. 

Katara is on a summer road trip with Aang, and even though she does daily check-in, Sokka still misses her, and hanging out with dad is the next best thing to hanging out with her. He wouldn’t have minded spending the day with Zuko, but his sister had asked him to come over for something and Zuko wasn’t exactly about to tell her no when he just got her back, and Sokka fully supports that.

Besides, spending time with his dad was nice. It was relaxing and comforting to be with his dad; no pressure, no expectations, just being in each other's company and knowing Sokka could talk to his dad about anything. There was a certain kind of peace that it brought him to be able to have this alone time with his dad. It made him feel almost childlike again, with how warm, and happy, and  _ loved  _ spending this time with his dad made him feel. 

Soka and his dad had left the city early this morning, just before sunrise, and had driven a few hours out to one of the secluded lakes. They rented a small boat, and sailed a ways out into the water, prepared with their fishing gear, plenty of snacks, and thermoses of hot coffee. 

The gentle rocking of the boat lulls Sokka into a feeling of calm, and he sighs contentedly. They sit in silence for what must be an hour or two. Both of them had silenced their phones as soon as they had set foot on the boat, so the only way to tell how much time had passed was looking at the sun. They’ve drunk their coffee, had some snacks, and the sun has fully risen in the sky, beaming down on them, before they start to talk.

“Your first day of work is tomorrow,” Dad says, breaking the silence. “Are you excited?”

“I’m really excited, yeah,” Sokka confirms, elation lighting up his voice. “I know I only had a few weeks of a typical ‘summer break’, but I was way too excited to wait any longer. And I know once my master’s classes start, I’ll have to cut back on the hours so I can focus on that, so I really wanted to get started.”

“I get the feeling you’re not as excited about making money than you are about the actual work,” Dad jokes, laughing softly and full of fondness. 

“I guess I am more excited about the work,” Sokka admits sheepishly, rubbing at the back of his neck. “All of it just sounds so exciting. They were telling me about the different workshops that are there and the different specialties they have. There are workshops and labs for electrical, chemical, mechanical, environmental, and biomedical engineering. My master’s emphasis is going to be in Mechanical Engineering; thermodynamics, manufacturing, structures and materials, stuff like that. But Teo’s dad is saying that I can explore the others too, since Mechanical Engineering is kind of the jack of all trades of engineering, and I’m really excited to explore all of it.”

It’s then that Sokka realizes he’s been gushing about stuff that his dad probably doesn’t really understand, and he cuts himself off, a little embarrassed. 

His dad, on the other hand, is staring at him with such a fond look on his face that it takes Sokka’s breath away for a moment. His dad looks… proud, and if Sokka didn’t know any better, he’d say his dad is holding back tears.

Actually, knowing his dad, he probably  _ is  _ holding back tears. 

“What’s that look for?” Sokka asks.

“I’m so proud of you,” Dad says plainly and simply, and Sokka blushes harshly. “You’re  _ so  _ smart, and so passionate and spirited when you talk about things you care about. You absolutely blow my mind.”

“Dad, oh my god,” Sokka says, wiping away the tears that suddenly sprung to his eyes. “You can’t just say shit like that, oh my god.”

“It’s all true, though,” Dad continues. “Sometimes I can hardly believe that I raised you to be such an excellent and caring young man.”

“‘Course you did,” Sokka mumbles, still wiping at his eyes and sniffling a bit. “ _ You’re  _ my dad. And you’re great.”

“Ah, not as wonderful as you are,” he says, that fond smile still on his face.

“Dad,” Sokka whines, his whole face burning red.

“Alright alright,” he gives in. “Now, tell me more about Mechanical Engineering. How exactly is it a ‘jack of trades’ of the different types of engineering?”

“Okay, well…” 

For the rest of their day on the water, Sokka talks about engineering and the kinds of things he wants to build and create, and how he might go about making that happen. He talks about the classes he’s signed up for and what he’s going to learn and practice and hopefully perfect. His dad asks questions, and he sounds genuinely interested and like he’s trying to understand. He asks questions when he needs clarification, and sometimes asks Sokka to go back and explain things again or summarizes things in his own way to see if he understands them. It makes Sokka’s heart feel full to bursting that his dad is trying so hard to understand him. 

They don’t catch a single fish, but Sokka couldn’t care less with the bubbly feelings of  _ love, happiness, and pride  _ coursing through him.

* * *

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Zuko says into the phone as he walks around his apartment continuing to get ready for the day.

“Believe it, sweetheart,” Sokka says back. Zuko can hear him shuffling around as he gets ready for his day, too, and Zuko gets a sudden flash of what it might be like to get ready  _ together  _ in the morning. He tries to shake off those images as he listens to Sokka. “You’re a sucker for your sister, and you  _ did  _ promise her you’d give this a try. It was your own hesitation that made her feel the need to pick you up this morning.”

Zuko sighs, lamenting every decision he’s made in his life ever.

Today is his first day going to try working at the business with Azula like he promised, and Zuko has no idea what he’s doing. 

It’s a damn financing business, Zuko doesn’t know jack shit about financing other than his pathetic monthly budget. What is he supposed to do in this business anyway? They appraise business ventures and products and offer financial advice to a select few that are affluent enough to require their services. Azula says she has ideas for him that are more on the ‘people side of things’ as she keeps saying, but Zuko has no idea what that means. She had mentioned once that he could be in charge of picking and choosing their new clients and managing the old ones that they’ve kept after all the trials were over. But again, Zuko’s not quite sure what she expects him to do. 

But, he did promise. All the trials are over, the investigation into the business is over, and Azula is fully in charge of the business at the ripe old age of twenty-one. 

(Absolutely no one was shocked to learn that their father had been embezzling money, stealing from a few of their richer clients, and taking bribes from certain companies to appraise up and coming products from rivaling companies as lower. Zuko’s only a little bitter that those charges garnered more prison time than the child abuse, but whatever. As long as he rots there.)

“I know I promised,” Zuko sighs, putting the phone on speaker while he riffles around his kitchen for something to eat. “I’m just nervous, I guess. Feel like an imposter, walking in there and suddenly having control when I’ve never even set foot in the building.”

“I get what you mean,” Sokka says. “It feels unfair that you’re walking in there without having to try or even really wanting it when there are other people who probably do. But, if I can, I think you’re being a little too hard on yourself. Anyone with half a brain cell can understand why you haven’t been involved in anything to do with  _ that man _ , and honestly? I think most people are probably relieved that some fresh eyes are coming in.”

“You think?” Zuko asks. 

“Yeah,” Sokka says, his voice slightly muffled suddenly. He’s probably searching for his own breakfast as well as he gets ready to go to work. “You and Azula kind of went really hard with exposing all of your uncle's brothers dirty laundry. People are probably gonna trust you guys more.”

“My uncle’s brother? Really, Sokka?” Zuko asks, though he can’t really mask the laughter in his voice.

“Well, you told me to stop calling him your sperm donor, so I had to come up with something ‘less vulgar.’ The trash man doesn’t even deserve to be called that,” Sokka defends. 

Zuko hums, eating his cereal. “I know it probably won’t be horrible,” Zuko says after a few bites. “And people probably won’t say anything to my face, but still. I think I’d feel better if I knew exactly what Azula had planned.”

“You’ll be trapped in a car with her soon, you’ll have the whole ride to grill her,” Sokka assures him. Zuko snorts, finishing his cereal and rinsing out his bowl. 

“Are you gonna be busy tonight?” Zuko asks. “I know you work till three, and classes are starting next week, so you’ve been a little busier.”

“Why? You got plans for us?” Sokka asks, teasing. 

They might have been dating for a few months now, but that teasing tone still makes Zuko blush. It probably always will.

“I  _ could  _ have plans for us,” Zuko says. “But only if you don’t already have things you need to do.”

Sokka hums, “I was gonna go raid the school supply section of Target for some new calendars and planners and stuff. Wanna come? We can get dinner after.”

“That sounds fun and perfectly relaxing, actually,” Zuko says. “I was gonna ask if you’d want to have dinner tonight, but this is better. I’ll text you when I’m free.”

“Awesome,” Sokka says. “Target run and a dinner date. I’m gonna get so many pens.”

Zuko laughs, almost missing the beep of his phone signaling a text. 

“I have to go,” Zuko says regretfully. “Azula’s here. Have a good day at work.”

“Alright,” Sokka says easily. “Have a good day, you’ll do great. Text me later.”

They say goodbye to each other, and Zuko hangs up. He puts his phone in his pocket, makes sure he has his wallet and keys, and that his  _ damn suit  _ isn’t wrinkled or anything, and he leaves his apartment.

Azula is idling out front, her windows rolled down as she looks out for him. 

“About time,” she says when he gets in. “I was thinking I might have to go in there and drag you out.”

“Ha ha,” Zuko deadpans. “I told you I was coming. Do you really have so little faith in me?”

“Oh I knew you’d come one way or another,” Azula says cryptically. Zuko raises his eyebrow but doesn’t question her. 

“So what do you have planned for me today?” Zuko asks, not beating around the bush. 

“So brusque, Zuzu, what happened to polite small talk? Asking about the weather and my morning and all?” Azula teases.

“How has your morning been Azula? Have you done your daily sacrifice yet?” Zuko says, trying to catch her at least a little off guard. 

“I have, actually. It was lovely,” Azula says without missing a beat, smiling smugly at him. Zuko’s eye twitches. 

“Alright, fine,” she sighs dramatically, even though Zuko can tell she’s holding back laughter. “I was hoping you might be able to help me with some staffing problems today. Put that ‘Arts and Humanities’ degree to good use.”

“Like what? I have an English degree, Azula, not a Human Resources one.”

“But you  _ are  _ good at empathy and understanding,” Azula says. “We have some complaints piling up in HR, both from employees and clients. Normally, I would just fire anyone who’s been making mistakes, but with this whole  _ nice  _ approach I’ve been taking, I’m hesitant to fire without hearing people out.”

“Generally a good practice,” Zuko agrees. “What are some of the complaints?”

“Some people are complaining about their pay, some their hours, some their managers. Some of the complaints seem valid, like one of the ones I’ll show you about a manager. But some of the others I’m hesitant about taking seriously. One client is complaining about their main consultant, but they’re a new hire who had a great resume so I’m not exactly wanting to take any action yet. And then we have a lot of new hire applications, and while we do need some new hires now that the  _ corrupt  _ ones have been let go, I’m overwhelmed.”

“So, you want me to take over dealing with the people?”

“I want you to take over dealing with the employees while I deal with the clients,” Azula explains. “They need someone who can be fully on their side and willing to understand them and their needs. The HR people are fucked, and I don’t even know how to go about dealing with taking care of them. And I’m struggling to care of the employees  _ and  _ make sure we have enough clients to keep our reputation after that trial.”

Well then. Zuko thinks he can handle dealing with the people and making sure everyone is being treated right. He’s always hated that his father didn’t seem to care for his employees, treated them like means to an end rather than real people. So, if Azula is asking him to make sure the employees have someone who will fight for them, he thinks he can do that.

“Alright,” Zuko says after a moment of thinking things through. “I think I can handle taking care of employees and making sure they’re being treated fairly. And I’ve made a fair amount of resumes, so I think I can handle that. You’ll have to tell me what parameters you want, though.” 

“Perfect,” Azula says. “You deal with the squishy people side of things, and I deal with the more cutthroat people side of things.”

“I’m gonna be honest,” Zuko says. “I’ve always hated how father treated the employees, so I’m probably going to take their side over any client that’s complaining about them. Don’t expect me to fire anyone.”

“Noted,” Azula says. “Just don’t piss off the really important clients. If they really are being insufferable and unrealistic towards the employees send them to me.”

“Noted,” Zuko says.

***

The day doesn’t go terribly, actually. He gets there and for the first few hours, Zuko knows he’s very hesitant, unwilling to cause any problems. But then he witnesses someone from HR deny an employee asking to leave a few hours early so she can pick up her son from school, and Zuko can’t stop himself from stepping in. 

After that, he feels more comfortable making decisions and intervening where he sees necessary. Zuko looks through some of the files Azula had given him about the various complaints; talking to the employees and taking notes so he could come up with solutions with Azula, not quite willing to make such big decisions without her approval. Some of the complaints sound very reasonable to him, such as the hours and pay problems, so he jots down his ideas to fix them to talk to Azula later. 

She approves them over their quick lunch break. 

He solves some of the problems Azula had mentioned about client complaints, working as a mediator mostly. Clients are more respectful to him than they are to the employees, even though he’s really only repeating what they’re saying in a more authoritative voice. So for a while, Zuko jumps back and forth between clients/employee calls, trying to help where he can. 

No one gets yelled at, employees get their approved days off, and Zuko only transfers one phone call to Azula so he doesn’t yell at the man on the other end. 

Zuko thinks he might be able to do this. 

He can’t wait to spend time with Sokka later, though.

* * *

Sokka and Zuko have been dating for about five months now, and Sokka doesn’t think he’s ever been happier. 

Dating Zuko is easy and wonderful and he makes Sokka feel so happy it’s incredible. 

Sokka thinks it’s only right that they go to thank the people who inadvertently got them together.

“You want us to stay up until one in the morning, just to go to the McDonald’s drive-thru together, in the hopes that the same workers are on staff tonight so we can tell them we’re dating?” Zuko asks him from his lounge on Sokka’s sofa. 

“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” Sokka says. “And hey, if they’re not there, we at least get some ice cream or something.”

“The things I do for you, honestly,” Zuko mumbles as he sits up and stretches. Sokka smiles widely. “It’s only eleven what do you expect us to do until one?”

“Uh,” Sokka hedges, thinking quickly because honestly, he hadn’t thought about that. “I have Monopoly?”

Zuko sighs, but nods. Sokka goes to get the board game.

“Loser pays for the McDonalds,” Sokka says, setting up the game.

“Deal,” Zuko smirks.

***

“Can’t believe I have to pay,” Sokka grumbles, pulling into the McDonald’s parking lot. 

“That’s what you get,” Zuko says smugly from the passenger’s seat. “Did you really think I’ve picked up nothing from Azula in the past few months? You brought this upon yourself.”

Sokka continues to pout, but he can’t exactly be upset when Zuko is still smiling all proudly and cutely. Sokka pulls into the drive-thru, rolling down his window.

“Hi, welcome to McDonald’s. What can I get for you tonight?” Sokka  _ thinks  _ the voice sounds familiar, but it’s been a few months and he can’t be sure. He looks over to Zuko, who also shrugs, unsure.

“Hi, can I get two Oreo McFlurries, please?” Sokka asks.

“I’m sorry, but the machine isn’t working right now,” the voice says apologetically. Sokka groans and Zuko laughs at him. 

“Okay, can I get two large fries and two ten piece nuggets, please?”

“Of course. Will that be all?”

“Yes, please.”

“Alright, we’ll have your total and your order at the window, please.”

“Thank you.”

Sokka pulls up to the window slowly. Zuko is still laughing at him, though it’s died down to more of a giggle. Yeah, it’s cute, but Sokka’s feelings are a little hurt. 

“Alright, so your total is going to be- oh, my gosh, it’s you guys!” 

Sokka turns back to the window and is met with the sight of Gabrielle, the nicest service worker Sokka has ever met.

“Gabrielle!” Sokka says back, just as excited. Zuko leans forward and waves. 

“Oh, my gosh, you two are friends now?” she asks excitedly. “Wait, are you guys having breakdowns right now? I’m sorry but the machine really is broken right now.”

“Nah, no breakdowns tonight,” Sokka reassures. “Just came to get some food. Also, we’re a little bit more than friends.”

“What do you mean? Like, are you guys together? Did you get together after meeting in a McDonald’s parking lot?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“This is the best day of my life. David! Our breakdown customers are dating now! And they’re not here because of a breakdown!”

David comes over to the little window, looking out of it, surprise taking over his face when he sees both Sokka and Zuko in the car. 

“Wow,” he says. “Ya know, I never thought a McDonald’s parking lot would be a place to find romance, but what do you know.”

“Shut up, this is cute,” Gabrielle says.

“No breakdowns tonight?” David asks.

“Nope,” Sokka confirms. 

“Wow,” he says again. “Good job.”

“Thanks,” Sokka and Zuko say at the same time. 

“Alright, your food is free tonight,” Gabrielle says suddenly. “This is too great. Nothing will ever top this.”

“Oh, no,” Sokka argues. “We can’t do that. We didn’t come to try and con free food, I swear.”

“I’m sure you didn’t,” she says. “But I’m not charging you anyway. You give me your card and I charge you a penny. Watch me.”

“But--” 

“Nope,” she cuts him off and shoves a bag through the window. “No arguing. This is great. Thank you so much for coming back.”

Sokka hesitantly takes the bag, ignoring Zuko’s muffled laughter. “Are you sure?” he asks again.

“Absolutely,” she says at the same time David says, “She’s sure.”

“Alright,” Sokka says, still cautious. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Zuko pulls himself together enough to also say.

“You’re welcome! Have a great night!” both workers call out.

Sokka drives away in a haze. Zuko opens the bag, probably trying to sneak some of Sokka’s fries, and he bursts into laughter again.

“What?” Sokka asks, stopping at a red light.

Zuko just shakes his head, still laughing, and pushes the bag toward Sokka. Sokka peaks his head into the bag, trying to figure out what could have made Zuko laugh like that. When he notices, Sokka can’t stop the bark of laughter from escaping him, either.

There’s a box of cookies in the bag. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, now that I have these little scenes out of my head and into the world, we can officially call this fic finished! Thank you all for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, here's some links for the crises happening in the world: 
> 
> Black Lives Matter petitions, donations, and other resources [here](https://t.co/ScNVY4VxD2?amp=1)  
> If you can’t donate, [here’s](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlhfJSrlPNthnoD1XFDHzmdf6Mpt2pe-2&feature=share) a youtube playlist where all the proceeds from the videos are being donated to BLM charities  
> Yemen Crisis Links [here](https://yemencrisis.carrd.co/)  
> Helping Lebanon Links [here](https://helplebanon.carrd.co/)  
> COVID-19 and others (US specific): [here](https://www.acf.hhs.gov/otip/news/covid-19-resources-services-support)
> 
> [Here’s](https://rejectscanon.tumblr.com/) my tumblr if you want to peruse and enjoy


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